The Heartbeat of Japan | LV Kaminari Taiko in Concert with Special Guest: Kristi Toguchi and Aerial Fitness
May 11, 2025, 2pm – Clark County Library Theater

Cast: Jennifer B-C, Director
Janeen N., Ciso O., Mie H., Vanessa W., Cameron B., Jessi C., Jared D., Brian K., Kaden B., Seth M., Gina M., Lawrence R., Chris J,. Jordan T. with help from Junior B-C, Alexia H.

Special Thanks to: LV Clark County Library District and Suzanne, Julie, Diane, and Austin, The LV Buddhist Sangha (@lasvegasbuddhist, instagram), Delwayne A and JACL LV, Junior B., Alexia H., Pablo Zanardi (@p.zanardi, instagram), Dyani Lange (@thewinterrose, instagram), The Barba’s, The Kawasaki’s, The Cole’s, The Caballero’s, Frank H., Chad M., Chris J., Aaron D (@bottlesandboxes, instagram), And Our Families

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

Kristi Toguchi and Students of Aerial Fitness- Visit aerial-fitness.net for information on classes!

Mata Ne– Composed by Fred Visaya, Instructor at Asano Taiko US, Unit One — “Mata Ne” means “See You Later” in Japanese. Fred wrote this for his friends and first taiko group Puna Taiko as a way to say “see you later” before he left for his taiko training in Tokyo, Japan. It’s not “Goodbye”, but “See You Later”!

Skipping Stones – composed by Adam Weiner – Imagine a group of friends spending a warm Spring day by a creek, or a lake, having conversations that range from playful to thought-provoking. All the while, they casually pick up flat stones and take turns skipping the rocks across the surface of the water. This song is about people coming together just to enjoy being together with no agenda, and the kind of energy created by such a relaxed and fun time.

Kazaguruma– written by LVKT members. Kazaguruma is the word for windmills. As a windmill rotates, it collects natural energy to produce usable energy. When we play taiko, we collect your energy and turn it into positive energy. This piece is a great show of movement and energy.

Sensei No Uta– Arranged by Grandmaster Seiichi Tanaka, San Francisco Taiko Dojo – This song is based on his composition, California Wind. “Sensei no uta” translates roughly to “Teacher’s Piece”. Members of LVKT have learned directly from Grandmaster Seiichi Tanaka. 
This arrangement features a style of taiko called “yataibayashi”, which is a sitting-style played in a tall float during a festival in Chichibu, Saitama

Uchimazu– Composed by Shunichiro Kamiya, Matoi No Kai. LVKT had the privilege to learn from former Kodo member Shunichiro Kamiya. Uchimazu, his composition, is energetic and a whirlwind of ‘mixed rhythms’.

Ashura– written by Rev. M. Kodani, Kinnara Taiko, the oldest Buddhist Taiko group in the US. Ashura is one of the 6 realms of Buddhist existence; a place of suffering, envy, and jealousy. We become Ashura or “fighting demons” when we insult or hurt other people. Ashura eventually learn that fighting brings only emptiness and that peace can only be achieved through harmony. In this song, the drums fight against each other, but in the end the fighting stops and they all play together as one. 

“Even if we are far apart,
No matter the distance
I’m always thinking of you! I can always hear your voice!
So it’s alright! We’ve got this!”
In the time that we were apart, we yearned for personal connection. This song perfectly captures the strong support we give to each other!

Kaminari – written by D. Muraoka–This is the signature piece of LVKT. Kaminari means thunder; we invite you to close your eyes and listen to the sounds of the drums with your heart. This song is joined by students of Aerial Fitness!

Omiyage –  composed by Shoji Kameda (On Ensemble), conceptualized by Bryan Yamami, (TaikoProject) Los Angeles. Written to be an open-sourced piece, Omiyage means “Gift” and was introduced to the taiko community with intent to alter and create flair for the taiko groups around the world.