Celebrating the harvest in rural Cawston!
We hosted Onibana Taiko from Vancouver, who conducted a taiko drumming workshop, followed by a dinner and concert. The workshop culminated in two short “performances” by the participants, who were divided into two groups who then took turns playing a piece for each other (and early birds to the dinner). We had a craft table for young kids and anyone else who couldn’t participate in the workshop. The dinner was cooked by several volunteers from the community, with much of the food donated by local organic farmers and Valu Plus (who donated various buns, including gluten free). The concert featured Onibana Taiko as the main act, but also included two local performers: Kelly Terbasket, from IndigenEYEZ, who led the crowd in some audience participation activities and shared a Syilx (Okanagan) perspective of drumming, and Mari Abraham, a local Shamanic healer who played Sanskrit prayer accompanied by drum.
The event brought neighbours out in our rural community, we shared stories, made drums, danced, sang, ate, and celebrated the harvest together!
A Neighbourhood Small Grant from the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen helped us pay for the hall, food and small honorariums for the performers.
Details from our promotional materials:
TAIKO DRUMMING WORKSHOP, CONCERT AND DINNER
With Vancouver’s ONIBANA TAIKO (and special guests!)
FREE ADMISSION! EVERYONE WELCOME!
Saturday September 30 at the Cawston Hall
Drumming workshop 4 – 6 PM (sign up 3:30 – 4)
Harvest Dinner 6:30 – 7:30
Performances 8 – 9:30
What is Taiko?
Taiko is a Japanese word that means “big drum.” Taiko is a traditional form of drumming and is loud, fast, and involves choregraphes movements. It is said that in ancient Japan, the size of a village was determined by how far away one could hear the village taiko. Other uses included calling for rain in times of drought, drumming soldiers onto the battlefield and giving thanks to the gods for a bountiful harvest.
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