Joji Hirota
Joji Hirota takes up position among his battery of Japanese temple drums. You can see the tightly coiled potency in the athletic arms he raises as he summons his meditative energies. Slowly at first, the power is transferred with rigorous precision into the booming skins. The pulse quickens and his movements become more fluid as the small pick-axe handles he uses as sticks begin to fly in the space around him, striking the precise spot with unnerring accuracy. The drums roll and thunder, the cymbals splash and shimmer, and out of the tempest he has conjured comes the beat, dancing gracefully on the swell. It hops across to his partner and apprentice, who is briefly possessed by it before flinging it back. Once they've settled into a pattern, they play catch with it, take it in turns to juggle it and syncopate it whilst never interrupting the flow. He finishes as he starts, serene, but now his features are bathed in performance afterglow and he permits himself a small smile of satisfaction.
A man of many talents, Joji Hirota has been a musical director for the acclaimed Lindsay Kemp dance company, composed soundtracks for TV documentaries and worked with Pól Brennan and Guo Yue on the much-praised 'Trísan' album on Real World
Records. He also has an aptitude for teaching, which is regularly displayed in the workshops that accompany the WOMAD festivals, to the delight of the crowds of enthusiastic amateur drummers who quickly learn that it is even more difficult than it looks!
Look out for his 1999 album 'The Gate' on Real World Records - which features emotional vocals interwoven with taiko drumming, shakuhachi and string quintet.

Liz Walters
Liz Walters began playing Taiko with Mugenkyo, and soon became renowned for her unique Taiko style - a blend of power and sensitivity.
She has toured extensively in the UK and has also performed in Japan, Germany and Austria.
Recently she has begun playing with Guo Yue and Joji Hirota.

Kuniko Suzuki
Born on 12th April 1973.
Started to learn the art of Taiko drumming at the Hatsuuma Daiko in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture.
Played in her own concert at Kawaguchi in 1993.
Made 13 appearances at the annual Hatsuuma Daiko Competitions, 10 of which she won.
As well as traditional Taiko drumming, she has also been able to incorporate her Taiko skills with other genres of music including modern ballet and pop music.
Has been a kindergarten teacher at a Japanese school since 1997 where she has taught Taiko both pupils and teachers.
Formed a Taiko group from the school teachers in 1998.
Played a concert with pianist and singer in 1999 at the Daiwa Foundation Japan House.
Joined Tamashii Daiko in 2000.

Mark Alcock
Mark Alcock studied, performed and taught Taiko drumming for two years with the Tennon Daiko drummers of Wakayama ken in Southern Japan. His teachers included Katsuji Kondo, former front man of the world famous Kodo drummers.
On his return to England in 1994, he began playing with the brilliant Japanese percussionist Joji Hirota, and was also one of the original members of Mugenkyo, the exciting Glasgow based Taiko group. He began playing with Guo Yue in 1999 and also performs with percussionist, Pete Lockett. Mark has played taiko all over the UK, in Australia, Japan, Italy, Austria, Luxembourg, The Canary Islands, Albania, Malaysia and Hungary.
He was also co-founder of the Gyosei School of Taiko with James Barrow, offering the first hands-on Taiko workshops in the UK. They regularly hold workshops in primary and secondary schools, and run Taiko courses for adults.

Claire Spencer
Claire Spencer began playing Taiko in 1995 and is a former member of the British Taiko group * Mugenkyo *. Over the last six years, she has travelled ectensively playing in theatres, arts centres and at festivals around the UK adopting a unique and graceful style. In January 2000, Claire played at a New Year concert on the south west coast of Japan with the group - Tennon Daiko.
Emi Watanabe Maidment
Emi was born in Japan about 100km north of Tokyo. After graduating from music college in 1990 , She went on to study ryuteki and shinobue under Michiko Akao and three years later nohkan under Yukimasa Isso. She is now studying composition uner the tutelage of Dr Ross Lorraino ( of Kings college) and working on a piano suite, which she hopes to publish in the near future. Since moving to England five years ago Emi has toured the country with the UK-based taiko group Mugenkyo, has appeared on BBC TV, and played at the Millennium Dome and BMIC (British Music Information Centre).

Shingo Karube
Born in Tokyo 1978.
Started playing Taiko Drums in 1996.
Currently the supervisor for AKATSUKI-DAIKO of Gyosei College, Reading, UK.
Has been playing with Joji Hirota since 1998 and has played in Austria, Belgium, Spain and all over UK.

Taiko
A generic term for all Japanese drums, but commonly applied only to cylindrical or barrel drums. Almost all Japanese drums are double-headed but only one head is played in most cases.
This is the instrument often used when Bon Festival takes place. Also, the drum players usually wear so-called happi(pronounced as happy). It creates very strong sound with a pair of drum stick, which is shorter and thicker than the one we often see. Also, the combination of sound by hitting its rim/edge is quite remarkable.

Bon Festival
This is a Buddhist event occurring from the 13th to 16th of July or August to hold a memorial service to the spirits of ancestors. Because the spirits of the dead are said to return at this time, fires are lit at the entrances to homes so the spirits do not lose their way, and, in addition to lanterns being lit inside homes, the Buddhist family alters are tidied up and vegetables and fruit are set out as offerings. And when Bon is over, the spirits are sent on their way. This is called the escorting of the spirits and fires to speed their seeing off are lit at entrances of homes and offerings are floated on rivers and the ocean.

Ryuteki
The ryuteki came from China over 1000 years ago. It means dragon flute and according to Chinese legend, the sound is very similar to that of a dragon. It is made of bamboo. The inside of the flute is lacquered and some places are wrapped with strands of bark from cherry tree. It is mainly used in Gagaku, which is court music.

Shinobue
Also made of bamboo, but a different kind, and is lacqured and wrapped with bark. It is much simpler than ryuteki and is mainly used for festival music and Kabuki, which is a form of Japanese theatre.

Nohkan
It is also made of bamboo and used in both Noh theatre and Kabuki. Although it looks similar to the ryuteki there is an extra pipe inside of the flute called the-nodo- (or -throat- in English).