Profile of Yuzuriha
Yuzuriha is a taiko group from Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. They started playing taiko together in 2000, and the following year they added shinobue (a bamboo flute).
They added tsugaru shamisen (a three-stringed Japanese instrument) in 2003.
At first, they played traditional Japanese taiko music, but gradually started to write their original pieces. In 2006, Shingetsu (New Moon) was composed for Yuzuriha by the well-known shinobue and tsugaru shamisen player and composer, Kimura Shunsuke. The following year, they added another one of his compositions, Kochi (East Wind) to their repertoire. Yuzuriha has been performing taiko music in schools, at local festivals and concerts, at homes of the elderly and in hospitals since 2001. They conducted their first performances in the US in April, 2008, in which they experienced several standing ovations.
Repertoire
Kochi (composed by Kimura Shunsuke)
Shingetsu (composed by Kimura Shunsuke)
Hanamichi (original)
Hatatagami (original)
Matsuri (original) and others
Members of Yuzuriha
Tomoko （Leader and Webpage manager）
Tomoko started playing taiko in 1997. She started the group Yuzuriha in 2000 as the leader. She later joined a tsugaru shamisen group, Akihirokai (Leader: Ichikawa Akihiro) and started playing tsugaru shamisen in 2003, after she was inspired by a session between Eitetsu Hayashi (taiko) and Shinichi Kinoshita (tsugaru shamisen), at a taiko concert sponsored by Asano Taiko. The following year she started writing music for tsugaru shamisen as well as taiko and shinobue.
Gono-chan (Vice-Leader)
Gono-chan started playing taiko in 1997, and has been totally absorbed by it since then. She is an assistant teacher for "Taiko Class for Beginners" sponsored by the Ishikawa Taiko Association.
"Everybody including myself knows I really love taiko. I am crazy about it. But if you look around, I am not the only one. Taiko players keep practicing taiko very hard even though saying their knees and back hurt. I just hope to keep playing and enjoying taiko for a long time!"
Keiko （Accountant）
Keiko started playing taiko in 1997, attracted by its unique sound and touch. She started playing shinobue (a bamboo flute) for taiko music, and learned to love its very natural, warm sound. She has been playing shinobue for about ten years.
“The harder I try to play, the more difficult it seems. But I love the concentration and teamwork that I feel when playing with the other members of Yuzuriha.”
Mami-chan
Mami-chan started playing taiko in 1997, and she has loved this intrument from the very beginning.
“I keep playing taiko just because I like it. I would like to continue playing music in Yuzuriha as long as possible. My favorite taiko player is Sato Kensaku!”
Copyright. 2007. Yuzuriha. All Rights Reserved.