I love hearing taiko drumming probably because of my Japanese ethnicity, but so do a lot of people all over the world who aren’t Japanese. Venture downtown on 2nd Saturday Downtown on March 9, to hear this lively Tucson taiko group Odaiko Sonora (who celebrated their tenth year anniversary in 2012). They will be performing at 5 p.m. (to 5:45 p.m.) at the Scott Avenue Stage (between Congress and Broadway).

Odaiko Sonora is Tucson’s taiko, or Japanese ensemble drumming group. Serving southern AZ since May 2002, Odaiko Sonora is dedicated to increasing familiarity with and understanding of taiko in our community. We do this for over 30,000 people each year through classes and master workshops, performances, school residencies, teambuilding workshops and by producing concerts by internationally acclaimed taiko artists.

Lots more info here: www.tucsontaiko.org.

They will also be at Tucson Festival of Books on March 10, 1 p.m. at the UA Mall, in the Education Bldg. room 310:

Rome, Karen and Shiro (aka Bugsy) will participate in “Bringing the Arts, Literacy and Technology Together for Kids,” a session for educators and parents. We will be announcing the release of a new book featuring our plucky hero Asako and her devoted, magical dog.

I wrote about their first book “Asako, The Girl who Saved Her Village” last year (click here). They are working on a new book entitled “Asako, the Girl who Woke the Sun”, and it reportedly references the Uzume/origin of taiko myth, and is a story about Yokai spirits and magic. The plot is that young Asako journeys with her dog Shiro to find sacred drum beats that will coax the sun back.

Asako who woke the sun, illustrated by Nadia Hagen, preview image courtesy of Odaiko Sonora

For more events on 2nd Saturday Downtown on March 9, go to their event schedule (click here).

For more events at Tucson Festival of Books (March 9 and 10) go to their website (click here).

Up above is a link to a video saying arigato (thank you) from some of the citizens of Japan for the assistance after their 3/11/11 devastating 9.0 earthquake/massive tsunami last year on March 11, 2011. More about this tragedy, read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Japan_earthquake.

The Japanese National Police Agency confirmed 15,848 deaths, 6,011 injured, and 3,305 people missing across eighteen prefectures, as well as over 125,000 buildings damaged or destroyed.

My 2nd/3rd cousins in Sendai survived and are fine (my maternal grandparents emigrated from that part of Japan to the Trust Territory of Hawaii in 1910).

And tomorrow, the Japanese Association of Tucson is having a Spring pot luck picnic at ramada #1 at Ft. Lowell Park (NE corner of Glenn, 2900 N. Craycroft Rd.), 11 to 2 p.m. Please send the name of all the participants from your group and/or family by e-mail (jpnassoctucson@gmail.com if you are planning on attending. They would like to make sure to prepare enough beverages).

And here’s the link (click here) for “The Tsunami & the Cherry Blossom” documentary film for the 2012 Academy Awards, nominated for best foreign language film.

Survivors in the areas hardest hit by Japan’s recent tsunami find the courage to revive and rebuild as cherry blossom season begins.

A stunning visual poem about the ephemeral nature of life and the healing power of Japan’s most beloved flower.

Directed by Academy Award Nominated filmmaker Lucy Walker (Waste Land), featuring photographyby Aaron Phillips and music by Moby.

And on the local scene, taiko drumming group Odaiko Sonora is releasing a children’s book entitled “Asako, The Girl who Saved Her Village” (about a tsunami) to commemorate the 3/11/11 tragedy. That release event is today at 4 pm. at the Tucson Festival of Books, Diamond Children’s Story Telling Stage.

Odaiko Sonora has been taiko drumming in Tucson for 10 years now.

To commemorate their 10th anniversary and the 1 year anniversary of the March 11, 2011 9.0 earthquake & tsunami in Japan, they are releasing a children’s book of a tale which is one they’ve used in school residencies for years.

The book is entitled “Asako, The Girl Who Saved Her Village” and is authored by Odaiko Sonora. The illustrator is Nadia Hagen, Artistic Director of Flam Chen and the All Souls Procession.

This book will be unveiled at their performance at the Tucson Festival of Books on March 10. Students from Prince Elementary and Amphi Middle School will join kids in their youth taiko group to perform the folktale. Each of the students will get a copy of the book, and “Asako” will be for sale for $10 at the Festival.

I’ve read a preview of this cute children’s book, and it is a good story about the courage of a little Japanese girl in face of a tsunami. The drawings are charming and there are several Japanese terms in the story, such as “obi” (belts) and “kami” (nature spirits).

Look for their performance at the Diamond Children’s Story Telling Stage from 4 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday March 10.

other drawings by Nadia Hagen in this picture book

Also –Odaiko Sonora Japanese Storytelling
When: Sunday 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Where: Bear Down Entertainment Stage

My previous blog on the 4th annual Festival of Books (click here)on March 10 & 11 at UA Mall.

More information on Odaiko Sonora, www.tucsontaiko.org, info@tucsontaiko.org. They won a 2008 Lumie (Tucson Pima Arts and Business Award), Emerging Arts Organization and a 2009 Arizona Arts Award from the Community Foundation for Southern AZ. The founders are Rome Hamner, and Karen Falkenstrom, who is half Korean-American.

Odaiko Sonora is Tucson’s taiko, or Japanese ensemble drumming group. Serving southern AZ since May 2002, Odaiko Sonora is dedicated to increasing familiarity with and understanding of taiko in our community. We do this for over 30,000 people each year through classes and master workshops, performances, school residencies, teambuilding workshops and by producing concerts by internationally acclaimed taiko artists.

And if you miss them at the Tucson Festival of Books, you can order the book on their website and pay via paypal. There’s will be a small shipping charge. They are also running a Kickstarter campaign to pay for the printing, and the $25 donor level (and all higher donor levels) receives a free copy of the book.