Wadaiko Rindo

Taiko drumming, loud and physical, from a Melbourne ensemble founded in 1996 by Toshinori Sakamoto. Wadaiko Rindo now teaches over 130 active students, and the performing troupe is drawn from the advanced players in that group. They've taken the drums well past Victoria, with performances in Japan, China, Fiji and New Caledonia alongside work here at home. Bookings run from cultural festivals to corporate events and school workshops, and the workshop side lets an audience get hands on the drums rather than just listen. The traditional Japanese rhythms sit at the centre of it, with the ensemble's own Australian shape around them.