Experience the power and rhythm of live Taiko drumming with Ichimi Daiko from 5:10–6:30 p.m. in the UU Amphitheater following the International Engagement Symposium. This special performance is co-sponsored by the International Center, the Cal Poly Music Department, the Japanese Student Association and the APIDA Faculty/Staff Association.

Taiko is rich in history and meaning. It was used in agricultural and fishing communities to pray for successful crop harvests and catches. It served to rally troops during battles. It has been said that a village’s borders were defined by how far the taiko could be heard. Taiko has also become integral to Shinto and Buddhist religious music traditions and has played a role alongside other instrumentation in the Japanese classical music and dance tradition, gagaku. Today, the powerful and moving sounds of taiko in several styles can be heard around the world bringing the sounds of Japan to new places and new homes.