- [Announcer] This program from the annual Summer Music Festival at the Redlands Bowl is made possible by support from these Inland Empire civic-minded organizations concerned with the cultural life of our communities.

The citizens of the Inland Empire that patronize the Bowl, and viewers like you supporting local public television in the Inland Empire, thank you.

(lively percussive music) (lively music) (lively percussive music) (band members chanting) (lively flute music) (lively music) (lively percussive music) (band members chanting) (percussive music continues) (chanting continues) (lively music) (audience cheering) - TAIKOPROJECT formed in 2000, so about 21 years ago.

And it started with just the idea of taking this traditional art form of Taiko drumming and trying to create something new and connected to my generation of players with it.

We're kind of the second generation of Taiko here in the United States.

There was a first generation that started in the 1960s and '70s as part of the Asian-American activist movement.

And as those activists kind of grew up, they started having kids and families, and I'm fortunate enough to have been one of them and to have been able to join one of the youth groups that they formed.

And so a whole bunch of us started in these youth groups at the age of seven or eight.

And we were coming of age around in our early 20s trying to figure out what we're trying to do.

And a mentor of mine came up to me and just said, "Hey, you should get a bunch of your younger generation together and do something different."

(rhythmic percussive music) (audience cheering) - Hey!

(bright music) (bright music continues) (bright music continues) (upbeat music) (band members chanting) (bright music) (audience applauding) (bright music) (audience applauding) (vibrant percussive music) (vibrant percussive music continues) (audience cheering) (audience applauding) (vibrant percussive music) (audience cheering) (rhythmic percussive music) (rhythmic percussive music continues) (audience cheering) What we're looking for in our performers is obviously Taiko drumming ability and passion and dedication to the art form.

But we're also looking for people that bring something special and different to the group as well.

We have some members that come in with a dance background, some performers that come in with more of a drum line or percussion background.

So all these players come together.

They incorporate their own skills into what makes TAIKOPROJECT today.

(upbeat percussive music) (band members chanting) (upbeat percussive music) (chanting continues) (upbeat music continues) (chanting continues) (upbeat music continues) (chanting continues) (upbeat music continues) (chanting continues) (upbeat music continues) (woman yells) - Whoo!

Yeah!

(upbeat percussive music) (band members yell) (upbeat percussive music) (audience applauding) (mellow percussive music) (mystical music) (mystical music continues) (slow percussive music) (mystical music) (singing in Japanese) (singing in Japanese) (mystical music) (mystical music continues) (singing in Japanese) (gentle music) (audience applauding) ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Now the sun ♪ ♪ Comes back to life ♪ ♪ To bring joy ♪ ♪ And light ♪ ♪ The return ♪ ♪ To our sky ♪ ♪ You see ♪ ♪ With open eyes ♪ ♪ We together ♪ ♪ Are sublime ♪ ♪ Now the sun ♪ ♪ Comes back to life ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ (gentle xylophone music) (audience applauding) (gentle music) ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ The sun and moon ♪ ♪ Are all aligned ♪ ♪ Darkness and calmness ♪ ♪ Are all combined ♪ ♪ You see with ♪ ♪ Your open eyes ♪ ♪ That we together ♪ ♪ Are all sublime ♪ ♪ Now your life ♪ ♪ Goes on and on ♪ ♪ Seeing it moving ♪ ♪ Up and down ♪ ♪ My mind goes way back round ♪ ♪ To remember the days ♪ ♪ Of warm sound ♪ ♪ Totality ♪ ♪ Rain and thunder ♪ ♪ Storm clouds, fire ♪ ♪ Sun, moon ♪ ♪ Totality ♪ ♪ Rain and thunder ♪ ♪ Sun, moon, totality, totality ♪ ♪ On and up we go ♪ ♪ Mistakes will happen, I know ♪ ♪ Look farther to the horizon ♪ ♪ Far and above the rising sun ♪ ♪ Circling around, up and down ♪ ♪ Skies are so dark, see them spark ♪ ♪ Outside and in, world spins ♪ ♪ Eyes in a trance, shadows dance ♪ ♪ Circling around, up and down ♪ ♪ Skies are so dark, see them spark ♪ ♪ Outside and in, world spins ♪ ♪ Eyes in a trance, shadows dance ♪ ♪ Totality ♪ ♪ Rain and thunder ♪ ♪ Storm clouds, fire ♪ ♪ Sun, moon ♪ ♪ Totality ♪ ♪ Rain and thunder ♪ ♪ Storm clouds, fire ♪ ♪ Sun, moon, halo ♪ (bright music) ♪ Now the sun ♪ ♪ Comes back to life ♪ ♪ To bring joy and light ♪ ♪ The return of our sky ♪ ♪ You see with open eyes ♪ ♪ We together are sublime ♪ ♪ Now the sun ♪ ♪ Comes back to life ♪ ♪ Now your life ♪ ♪ Goes on and on ♪ ♪ Seeing it moving ♪ ♪ Up and down ♪ ♪ My mind goes way back round ♪ ♪ To remember the days ♪ ♪ Of warm sun ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ohh ♪ (audience applauding) - Tonight, something that's special is that we are debuting a new song called "Totality" written by our artistic director, Masato Baba, and it's been in development for the last few months.

And tonight is the debut of "Totality."

(mellow music) (mellow music continues) (mellow music continues) (mellow music continues) (mellow music continues) (mellow music continues) (audience applauding) (pulsating percussive music) (pulsating percussive music continues) (pulsating percussive music continues) (pulsating percussive music continues) (band members chanting) (upbeat percussive music) (chanting continues) (upbeat music continues) - [All] Hey, let's go!

(upbeat percussive music) (band members chanting) (band members cheer) (upbeat percussive music) (band members chanting) (band members cheer) (upbeat percussive music) (band members chanting) (upbeat music continues) (chanting continues) (audience cheering) (band members yelling) (intense percussive music) (lively percussive music) (lively percussive music continues) (bright music) (upbeat percussive music) (upbeat percussive music continues) (band members yelling) (upbeat percussive music) Hey!

(audience applauding) - [Announcer] This program is made possible by support from these Inland Empire civic-minded organizations concerned with the cultural life of our communities, the citizens that patronize the Bowl, and viewers like you supporting local public television in the Inland Empire, thank you.