This year’s Big Bang was bigger
than ever, with performances by
the three regular groups at the
dojo: the fourth generation of
Project Taiko, a fast-progressing
Taiko Academy, and for the first
time ever, Taiko Night.

This annual series of concerts is
the culmination of the year’s
teaching work at the dojo, which
intensifies over the four winter
months.

This year the Big Bang expanded
in the number of concerts as well
as number of participants, with
four concerts in total, in East
Kilbride, Giffnock, Livingston and
Glasgow.

Background info:

Big Bang

Project Taiko

Taiko Academy

Taiko Night

Poem:

"Taiko Night" by Hamish Robertson

“Project Taiko” has been a hugely
successful teaching project at the
dojo, and has now completed its
fourth cycle.

Every year, applicants between
the ages of 18 – 26 audition to
join the project, and train for four
months at the dojo leading up to
the Big Bang.

The standard is high, and as
before, the audience were
amazed that most of the
participants had never picked up
a pair of taiko bachi drumsticks
before.

Following the Big Bang, a few of
the participants are selected to
join “Taiko Academy".

The 2006 Big Bang was a
milestone for the “Taiko Academy”,
who for the first time were the
mainstay of the Big Bang show,
both on & off-stage.

Their performance included a wide
variety of repertoire, from the
thundering “Todoroki” to the
strenuous “Yatai Bayashi”, to
the delightful traditional piece
“Gezan Bayashi”.

Offstage they worked hard tying
drums, marking the stage, looking
after the other groups, and
helping with lighting & sound.

Their performance was the
pinnacle of a year of hard work,
as they pushed themselves
physically and mentally in order
to reach this level.

New this year were “Taiko Night”,
who were the delight of the
audience with their upbeat piece
“Iki Iki Daiko”, which means
“full of life”.

It also has a double meaning:
“ikki ikki” means “down in one”!
Taiko Night was set up in
November 2005 and consists
of adults of all ages, and are an
important part of the growing
community at the dojo.