Another year in the books, and another full season of taiko. Please join us as we go over what we were up to!
2024 Performances
Uniqlo Market Mall Opening (March 22)
The year started off strong with a performance for the opening of Calgary’s second Uniqlo store at Market Mall. We were thrilled to be invited back to perform for this opening after having played for the Chinook location, and we again attracted a large crowd of onlookers in the mall (and a few of us got some quality Japanese clothing!).
Calgary Jazz Orchestra (CJO) (April 14)
Our primary focus in the new year, however, was our collaboration with the Calgary Jazz Orchestra. Johnny Summers, the Artistic Director of the CJO, reached out to us in July of 2023 about the possibility of doing a collaboration. We bounced ideas back and forth in preparation for the show, and Johnny ultimately composed a suite of four original pieces entitled Northern Lights, Eastern Skies that combined the unique sounds and choreography of taiko with his jazz orchestra.. We had never collaborated with a jazz ensemble before, so this project presented a unique challenge and opportunity for growth. It was a rewarding experience for us to add choreography to the original compositions for the suite - trying our best to reflect the intentions for each piece through our movement. After practising our tails off, we had the absolute honour of performing with Johnny and the CJO for a sold out show at the Bella Concert Hall in April and loved every minute of it. A big thanks to the CJO and Johnny Summers for the invitation and opportunity! A shout out to OrangeFrog Productions and Storybeat Media for their contributions to the concert. And, our deepest gratitude to Christoper Duxbury of CDDC Dance Collective for creating the unique and beautiful chappa choreography.
To continue the fun with the CJO,we hosted a private taiko hour for the band and others who worked on the show! It was a pleasure to share the art of taiko with some of Canada’s top musicians.
Calgary Marathon (May 26)
As usual, we started our main show season with drumming for the Calgary Marathon. It’s good cardio for us too, and you could argue it’s almost as impressive as a marathon... right?
Okotoks Film Festival (June 8)
Every year the Okotoks film festival highlights movies from a particular country, and this year they chose Japan. Naturally, the only way to kick off a Japanese film is with some Japanese drumming, so we zipped down to give the movies the introduction they deserved.
Willow Park School Workshop (June 14)
We shared the art of taiko with students from Willow Park School through a performance coupled with talks about the art’s history, clothing, songs and more. We love the opportunities to bring taiko into schools. If you are a teacher and looking for something unique to share with your students - reach out!
Capitol Hill Community Neighbour Night (June 21)
We rounded off June with an outdoor show for the Capitol Hill community. This was an impressive event, boasting not just us but a mobile library, kids events, and (most importantly) a petting zoo with piglets. There was lots to keep us busy after the show!
CJCA Stampede Breakfast (July 6)
Another annual tradition, this is a favourite show of ours – a great crowd, wonderful CJCA membership, and top-notch pancakes all in one.
Lantern Peace Festival (August 3)
Since 2013 Calgary Floating Lanterns for Peace have coordinated a memorial ceremony for the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. We were honoured to be asked to play for them this year, and enjoyed getting to bring our art to this event.
Omatsuri Night Market and Main Event (August 9-10)
One of our biggest shows of the summer, Omatsuri is always a blast. This year we did a small performance at the night market as well, and drummed along to an energetic dance tutorial.
Globalfest (August 24)
Another of our big summer shows, we performed on the Air Canada stage for the finale night of Globalfest. Somehow Globalfest outdoes themselves with their fireworks every year – the get more and more impressive.
Cochrane Multicultural Festival (September 7)
Our second non-Calgary show took us out to Cochrane for the multicultural festival. We thoroughly enjoyed playing and checking out all the vendors after our show.
Rattle the Bones Multicultural Festival (September 7)
Fresh off the heels of the multicultural festival, we returned to Capitol Hill for another performance. As before, this was a great event with lots to see and do, and we would recommend checking out the next event they put on! (Even if there’s no taiko.)
West Island College Workshop (September 13)
Our second workshop of the year was a session to introduce taiko to students who were interested in giving it a try! We were happy to teach a short practice piece to the students who were quick to pick it up. If something like this would interest you, please get in touch!
Calgary Police Half-Marathon (October 6)
We figured we didn’t get enough marathon action in at the beginning of the year, so as is our tradition we also drummed for the Calgary Police half-marathon in October.
Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers Gala (November 19)
This was a quick show, but a great venue and a warm crowd. We were happy to perform for the FACL and liven up their evening.
Plaza Palooza (December 8)
Finishing the year, we performed as part of Plaza Palooza, celebrating Olympic Plaza downtown before it was demolished. While it was a chilly day, we thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to seeing what the plaza will turn in to!
Other Events
Taiko Hour
Throughout the year we hold Taiko Hour, a short 1 hour introduction to taiko drumming. We held seven this year, and plan to hold a few in the upcoming year. Keep your eyes peeled for the next one!
Beginner and Intermediate Workshops
Over October and November we hosted two workshops, a beginner level and an intermediate level, giving interested participants a more intensive understanding of taiko. We had a lot of fun teaching these, and think our participants had fun too!
Farewell to Ayuka
And finally, in November we said goodbye to our foreign exchange taiko drummer, Ayuka. Ayuka first dropped in to a practise with us in May 2023, and quickly became a valuable and valued member of the group. With five years of taiko experience from Japan, she enriched our group with what she knew and was a quick study with what she didn’t, and we were sorry to see her go. Until we meet again!
Thank you!
We are so grateful for our teachers, mentors, volunteers, donors and supporters. Your continued attention drives the ensemble forward.
2025 is shaping up to be another exciting year, so be sure to subscribe to our mailing list and follow our social media to stay in touch!
- Midnight Taiko Kai
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