2013 Japanese Drum "Taiko" Concert

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Kenya’s independence. It also marks the 50th anniversary of Japan-Kenya diplomatic relations. In celebration of this milestone in both Kenya’s history and Japan-Kenya relations, the Embassy of Japan in Kenya held the Japanese Drum “Taiko” Concert, the first among a series of cultural events. Taiko means drum in Japanese. The 2013 Japanese Drum “Taiko” Concert was held at the Kenya National Theatre. The concert was held on the 17th and 18th of September.

The concert was officially opened by Mr. Tatsushi Terada, Ambassador-Designate of the Embassy of Japan in Kenya. In his opening address, Mr. Terada expressed his wish to enhance the partnership between Japan and Kenya. Dr. Hassan Wario, the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Sports, Culture & the Arts also gave his remarks during the drum concert.

The first performances were solos by YAS-KAZ, Senegalese born drummer Latyr Sy, and Ms. Koto who played the Japanese Bamboo Flute. This was followed by performances by the Taiko Company Himiko group, the Kenya performance arts group Banku Africa and several joint performances by the featured artists.