Where Edmonton Magazine July/August 2018 | Page 18
Where art meets athleticism
BY TA M AR A AS CH E N B R E N N E R
When Kita no Taiko—translated as “Drums of the
North”—first formed in 1986, the small group had no
drums, no costumes, and no formal training. Undeterred
by their lack of resources, they practiced on spare tires
and garbage cans to learn the playing techniques on their
own. Together, they built a few crude drums using barrels
and plastic pipes, and in 1988, KNT debuted at the annual
Heritage Festival as Alberta’s first taiko company.
If you’ve seen KNT in action, you’ll know
that the special art of taiko fuses music,
discipline, athleticism,
movement, and Japanese
culture. Kita no Taiko seeks
to share these values with
others in performances,
workshops, and classes. Sign
up, an