Image: Jane Eaton Hamilton

Katari Taiko

Members

Debbie Davis Debbie joined Katari Taiko in 1999, drawn to taiko by the sound of the drum, the power, and the physical strength. She also thought that learning taiko would force her out of her comfort zone. Her favourite piece is Ashura, because she plays the energetic and taxing josuke part. She views Ashura as a great power piece, and is working on learning not to smile, so as to match the mood of the piece. When she is not drumming, Debbie studies bojutsu, Breema (bodywork), and Kundalini yoga. One of her favourite leisure activities is walking.
Eri Flores Eri joined Katari Taiko in 2008, but she is no newcomer to taiko, having performed for several years with Vancouver's youth taiko group, Chibi Taiko.
Daien Ide Daien joined Katari Taiko in 1999, mesmerized by the deep sound of the drum and after watching the drummers at a performance. It was the only thing related to her Japanese heritage that interested her and being a Japanese Canadian, that made it important. She finds all the pieces enjoyable and feels that they create different kinds of energy. Some are bright and cheery, while others are powerful and aggressive. The pieces she finds most musically interesting are Mountain Moving Day and Talking Drums, which are very powerful and resonate at a more spiritual level. Renshu can be the least enjoyable after a hundred times or so, but that's Renshu. Outside of the group, Daien moves to the beat of her own drum. She loves horseback riding, science fiction books and film. She loves her day job as Reference Historian for the North Vancouver Museum and Archives. Most importantly, she enjoys life.
Naomi Iiyoshi Naomi joined Katari Taiko in 2008, after taking Katari Taiko's eight-week public taiko course in 2007. She was initially drawn to taiko because of a desire to stay connected to her Japanese heritage, but later on it became all about the drumming itself – the power, the discipline, the physical movement and the rhythm. Her favourite piece is Korekara, because it makes Naomi feel happy, energetic and free. Occasionally, Naomi dabbles in hiking and dodgeball. She is currently a part-time student at BCIT pursuing a career in human resources.
Joy Masuhara Joy joined Katari Taiko in 2005. She had always been attracted to drums and loved the combination of movement and drumming. She was also drawn to the cultural aspects, being Japanese Canadian herself. She likes different pieces for different reasons but her current favourite is Ashura. She is sure that this will change over time. Drumming is her life - but in her spare time, she hangs out with her wife and adult children. She works as a physician and loves to travel.
Catherine Newstead Catherine joined Katari Taiko in 2005. She had seen taiko in the past and was captured by its strength, passion and rhythm. She has also always had an affinity for Japanese Canadian culture. Her favourite piece is Oedo, because it is so graceful, with a building of excitement. She never tires of it - it is always fresh. Outside of drumming, she is a vocational rehabilitation counselor in community and health. She loves her work, but she also has a passion for family and friends. Cath is an avid reader and hopeless idealist with a curiosity for cultures.
Manami Saito Manami joined Katari Taiko in 2005. Although she does not have a musical background, she's always loved the powerful beat of taiko. She also enjoys the physical challenge and the discipline of taiko and being part of the KT collective. Through taiko she has become more involved in the Japanese Canadian community, which is great. Her two favourite pieces are very different - she likes TD (Talking Drums) because it is intense, and Ja Sawago because it is fun and light. Professionally, she works as a records manager for the federal government. She has also worked as a librarian and loves reading. Outside of drumming she enjoys traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Reiko Tagami Reiko joined Katari Taiko in 1996, having grown up seeing Katari Taiko and other taiko groups perform at the Powell Street Festival and the Buddhist Church O-bon celebration every summer. Taiko was always a highlight of these events, because you could hear it from across Oppenheimer Park – it was loud and exciting. Oedo is her favourite piece to perform. The quick horse-beat basic rhythm gives the song a high-energy foundation, the movements are fun, and the arrangement is tight and balanced. The challenge of playing a two-drum solo is always welcome. Her day job is as an information manager with a non-profit organization serving local governments across BC. It provides a great variety of activities, and she learns something new about northern, interior, or rural areas of the province every day. Her main volunteer gig is coordinating the annual raffle for the Powell Street Festival. In her spare time she loves to read, especially science fiction. Her vices are coffee and her Nintendo DS.
Coll Thrush Coll joined Katari Taiko in 2005; prior to that, he was a member of Seattle Kokon Taiko. He sees taiko as a perfect combination of music, exercise, and meditation – three things he badly needed to have back in his life after finishing graduate school! He likes the combination of tradition and innovation. And drums are the sound of the earth. It is tough for him to choose a favourite piece; every song has its own vibe. Talking Drums is probably his favorite because of its intensity and variety, but it’s also great to relax into a less serious piece like Matsuri or Ja Sawago, where the performers get to have fun with each other. In his regular life, he teaches Aboriginal and environmental history at the University of British Columbia. After that and taiko, there’s not a lot of room for anything else.
Jan Woo Jan joined Katari Taiko in 1981, after being blown away by KT's performance at the Vancouver Folk Festival. He ran into Linda Hilts, a KT member at the time, at the Folk Festival coffee crawl/breakfast, and she asked him why didn't he join? He walked into KT's first workshop with no prior musical experience, and his life has never been normal since ... He is well known to Vancouver audiences as the man behind the mask, performing the role of Shi Shi – the lion – in Katari Taiko's arrangement of the traditional Japanese mask piece Shi Shi Mai, the lion dance. He also quietly conspires to bring Miyake back into Katari Taiko's performance repertoire. Jan is the father of a teenage son, a "journeyperson" carpenter, a kayaker, and shares his life with the love of his life, Alison.
Atsuko Yamashita Atsuko joined Katari Taiko in 1992. She saw the Japanese taiko group Kodo perform for the first time in 1984, but never envisioned herself playing taiko. However, after she saw Katari Taiko perform at the Powell Street Festival in 1990, it made her think, "I want to do that!" She loves taiko because in addition to using your ears and eyes, you feel taiko with your whole body and soul. Her favourite piece to perform is Mountain Moving Day, but she also enjoys performing mask parts in various pieces because she can make the part her own. Atsuko owns a store that sells manga (Japanese comics and graphic novels) and anime-related items. In addition, she does film and television extra work, and some translation. She loves dragons and other mythical creatures.