Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival - 2023
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ESTABLISHED IN 1995As the art of taiko drumming continues to gain popularity throughout the world, the art of eisa, or Okinawan festival drumming, has also gained popularity. Though there are many eisa groups in existence, Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko is perhaps one of the most internationally recognized for its fusion of odori (traditional dance) and karate movements. Performers dance and drum simultaneously to an exciting blend of traditional and contemporary Okinawan and Japanese music. Drummers use several types of drums: the odaiko (big drum), which is suspended in front of the body by long pieces of purple cloth over the shoulder and back; the shime-daiko (hand-held, flat, two-sided drum); and finally, the paranku (hand-held, flat, one-sided drum).
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