'You can't ignore the sound of the drum': Hinode Taiko celebrates 40 years
A Winnipeg-based Japanese drum group is celebrating four decades of high energy beats.
Hinode Taiko held two performances of its 40th anniversary concert – titled "Hikari" - at the Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain (CCFM) this weekend.
Artistic director Yuko Nozoe said it's an important milestone.
"For such a small community to sustain such a group for 40 years, it just speaks to the strength of the community," she said. "The commitment and the dedication of not just the players, but the people that support us as well."
Nozoe said that taiko - the Japanese word for "drum" – is an art form she has a strong connection to.
"The first time that I was exposed to this style of drumming was when I was three years old, and I went to Japan for the first time," said Nozoe. "I still remember how I felt when I first heard the instrument, and it's just been with me ever since.”
Hinode Taiko is Canada's longest-running taiko group east of the Rockies. Nozoe became involved with the group five years ago, when she moved to Winnipeg from Toronto.
"You can't ignore the sound of the drum. It's just like an unapologetic expression of my Japanese-Canadian-ness," she said.
Nozoe added the performance makes her feel connected to her Japanese heritage in a physical way.
"In Japanese tradition it's said that the sound of the taiko resembles the sound of a mothers heartbeat as heard from an unborn child, so its one of the first sounds that we hear," she said.
She said that even though the drumming is high energy and loud, it still has a calming effect.
"For me, the taiko drum represents all of our hearts beating as one, so I hope that we can connect on heartbeat level with the audience," said Nozoe.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.