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Kenny Endo's 40th Anniv Taiko

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“TEN TEN” - Taiko Artist Kenny Endo’s
40th Anniversary Celebration Concert

From Chizuko Endo, managing director of Taiko Center of the Pacific, a school of traditional and contempoary Japanese drumming in Honolulu

Hi!  Aloha!

Do you remember the first time you ever heard taiko?

Or maybe you don't know what taiko is...

Taiko is a Japanese drum. Traditionally made from the trunk of a whole tree, hundreds of years old, and skinned with the hide of a cow.  The spirit of a tree and the spirit of an animal are united to create a magnificent musical instrument that has a primal power to bring people together. The sound draws you in - it attracts you.  It embraces you. It sometimes grabs you and shakes you! The sound of the taiko is not only heard but it reverberates deep into your bones. It is very powerful.

Yes, Taiko is a remarkable musical instrument! 
Kenny Endo's first rule of taiko is to give the drum all your energy.  Amazingly, the energy will be returned to you doublefold. The taiko path has given us a most wonderful life though never financially lucrative.  The life of an artist is a constant struggle. 

This year, taiko artist Kenny Endo celebrates 40 years of taiko drumming.  If you are reading this message, I hope you will consider helping make Kenny Endo’s milestone 40th anniversary of taiko drumming a grand celebration! 

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Our Goal

We are doing this crowdfunding campaign in hopes of raising $10,000 to offset the production costs of
“TEN TEN” - Kenny Endo’s 40th Year Anniversary Celebration Concert!

Production costs include:

Transportation
Accommodations for visiting Artists
Meals for visiting Artists, cast, and crew
Costumes
Cargo

Note: gofundme donations are not tax-deductible. *


*Tax-Deductible Donations

If you prefer your donation to be tax-deductible, you can do so through Taiko Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) federally-approved non-profit organization. Donors of $100 or more may receive concert tickets, invitations to the VIP post-concert reception with the artists, souvenirs, etc.

For information, visit:  taikoartscenter.org    

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Who is Kenny Endo?

Kenny Endo is the premier taiko solo artist in the United States.  A tireless ambassador, he has been at the vanguard of the taiko genre for 40 years and continues to pave new paths for the ancient Japanese drum. Endo first began taiko with the ground-breaking Kinnara Taiko (Los Angeles) and grandmaster Seiichi Tanaka and the San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1975.  Wanting to delve deeper, he then embarked on a 10-year odyssey studying and performing with the masters in Japan.  He holds the distinction of being the first foreigner ever to be bestowed with a stage name and master's license in classical Japanese drumming.  Endo has been instrumental in popularizing the taiko art form all across the country and especially in Hawaii.  In the greater musical world, the name “Kenny Endo” is synonymous with the word “taiko.”  A performer, composer, and teacher of taiko with numerous awards and accolades, Kenny Endo is a consummate artist, blending Japanese taiko with rhythms influenced from around the world into original melodies and improvisation.

"I want to create music which brings different people and cultures together with the knowledge that peace is not just an idealistic concept but a workable reality."
-Kenny Endo

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Concert Information

“TEN TEN”
Taiko Artist Kenny Endo’s 40th Anniversary
Celebration Concert

Saturday, October 10, 2015
7:00 pm

Hawaii Theatre
1130 Bethel Street in downtown Honolulu

Concert tickets ($20-$60) are ON SALE NOW
Hawaii Theatre Box Office,
1130 Bethel Street, Honolulu
(Tu-Sat 9 am-5 pm)
(808) [phone redacted]   OR 
www.hawaiitheatre.com

Post Concert Reception with the Artists: $35.

Following the 40th Anniversary Celebration Concert Tour kick-off in Honolulu, Kenny will continue on to performances on the West Coast and Japan in Fall 2015.  The Celebration Tour will continue in Spring 2016 to the East Coast, Mid-West, and South.

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“TEN TEN” Guest Artists and Performers

--Hiromitsu Agatsuma - named Top Artist in the All-Japan Tsugaru Jamisen Competition at age 14, then garnered top honors in the prestigious National Competitions. What sets Agatsuma apart from his contemporaries is his versatility to collaborate with all genre of artists including Kabuki and Noh theatre artists, rock, jazz, and more.
http://agatsuma.tv

Promo video for Hiromitsu Agatsuma and Kenny Endo in 2014:
https://youtu.be/Ls3f24Qod8M

--Hitoshi Hamada - a top-ranking jazz vibraphonist in Japan

--Jeff Peterson - Grammy award winning Hawaiian slack key guitarist  
http://jeffpetersonguitar.com/site/ 

“Kawika” performed by Island Breeze (Jeff Peterson, Riley Lee, and Kenny Endo)
https://youtu.be/Ttw1siKXDOk

--Kaoru Watanabe - versed in traditional Japanese, Western classical, jazz, and fusion, Kaoru is a shinobue (transverse bamboo flute) and taiko artist. He is the former principal flutist with the world famous Kodo and has served several times as Artistic Director of Kodo’s Earth Celebration Festival.     
http://www.watanabekaoru.com

Kenny Endo and Kaoru Watanabe
https://youtu.be/Dd7bMwRMn7M

--“Rhythm Summit“ - features Endo with virtuoso Noel Okimoto (drumset, vibraphone) and innovative Dean Taba (bass). Rhythm Summit was commissioned by Mayor Mufi Hannemann and the Mayor’s Office on Culture and the Arts in 2008 to create new music.

http://www.noelokimotomusic.com ;  http://www.deantaba.com ;
www.kennyendo.com  

Rhythm Summit “Noon Cycles” composed by Kenny Endo
https://youtu.be/AhntY8XwSu0

--Todd Yukumoto - acclaimed saxophonist and flutist
http://toddyukumoto.com

--Yi Chieh Lai - talented guzheng (Chinese zither) artist and composer
http://yichieh.com http://yichieh.com

Guzheng solo “Moon on the Water” by Yi Chieh Lai with taiko by Kenny Endo
https://youtu.be/40JIPCWOg2c

--Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble - a top ranking taiko ensemble will perform pieces by Endo, Yuu Ishizuka, Hiroshi Tanaka, and Endo’s “Midnight Moon” choreographed by Peggy Gaither Adams.
https://youtu.be/m4EdItAeJHk?t=3m1s                          

--Taiko Center of the Pacific Youth Group (YG) will premiere compositions composed by Kenny Endo and Masato Baba (TaikoProject, On Ensemble) as part of the “Developing the Next Generation of Taiko Artists” project sponsored by Mayor Kirk Caldwell and the Mayor’s Office on Culture and the Arts.
http://www.kennyendo.com/taiko-center-of-the-pacific/yghttp://www.kennyendo.com/taiko-center-of-the-pacific/yg 

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for taking the time to read this message!

"TEN TEN," Kenny Endo's 40th Anniversary Celebration Concert is sure to be a memorable evening of extraordinary collaborations, vibrations, and music.
Your consideration in making a contribution to help make the 40th Anniversary a special celebration is greatly appreciated. 


P.S.  What is Ten Ten?

“TEN TEN” refers to the sound of the shime daiko (rope lashed taiko drum). Twice struck in the middle of the drum, it makes the sound “Ten Ten.” TEN TEN also refers to the date of the concert (October 10th).
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  • Anonymous
    • $100 
    • 8 yrs
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Chizuko Endo
Organizer
Honolulu, HI
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