Dropping a Beat

St. Paul-based Mu Daiko celebrates 15 years of music by doing what they do best -- banging their drums

Mu Daiko is celebrating their cross-cultural success with a series of concerts at the Ordway’s McKnight Theatre from Feb. 10 to Feb. 19.

Image credit: Michal Daniel/Mu Daiko

By: Lauren Peck

Minnesota may seem an unlikely place to find a thriving traditional Japanese drum group. But that’s exactly what Mu Daiko has become over the last 15 years.

The group is celebrating their cross-cultural success with a series of concerts at the Ordway’s McKnight Theatre beginning on Friday that will serve as a showcase of the traditional music they’re known for, as well as some new original numbers.

Iris Shiraishi, a founding member of Mu Daiko who now serves as the group’s artistic director, says she isn’t surprised that Minnesotans have embraced the medium of Japanese drumming, known as taiko.

The music is built around the use of traditional Japanese drums of many different sizes, the largest of which is 10-feet in diameter, and is best known its low pounding, intense sounds – a sound Shiraishi says resonates with any audience.

“There is something about the sound and look of these big drums that draw people in,” she says, noting that drumming has been an integral part of almost every culture around the world.

While Mu Daiko will feature a host of traditional taiko pieces during its upcoming concert series, the group will also showcase collaborations with local vocalists, other musicians, and many well-known taiko guest artists, adding an innovative flare to the performances.

The second week of concerts, for example, will feature the talented Japanese song and dance group Hanayui, which includes three women from one of the most preeminent taiko groups in the world.

The result will be a concert that shows the exciting range of the taiko drum with a mix of more traditional powerful, intense pieces alongside some lyrical arrangements. “The drums are still beautiful when played softly,” Shiraishi says.

As Mu Daiko works to bring its sound to a larger audience, the 15-year mark serves as a reminder of the success the group has already found.

Mu Daiko, part of the St. Paul-based Asian-American culture group Mu Performing Arts, began humbly when artistic director Rick Shiomi performed taiko at a party. Several people expressed an interest in learning from Shiomi, who himself trained under “the grandfather of taiko.”

Now, the group offers classes for all ages and levels, in addition to their concerts and school outreach efforts. In the future, Shiraishi says she hopes to continue building on the taiko drumming tradition, but also continue to innovate.

“We have a group now on the brink of pushing boundaries personally and as a group,” she says. “I would love to see all the artists grow and stretch themselves and continue to be a part of making Asian-American culture more visible.”

+ Mu Daiko’s 15^th Anniversary Concert will run Feb. 10-19 at the Ordway McKnight Theatre, 345 Washington St., St. Paul. For tickets and more information, visit www.muperformingarts.org.