Ibuki Taiko with Fiona Umetsu
Ibuki Taikowas founded by Derry woman, Fiona Umetsu, who was first introduced to Taiko in Tokyo in 1996. She trained and played there until 2000 and then returned home to dream of bringing Taiko here to the North of Ireland.
Given the size and the cost of the drums it has been a true labour of love. Finally in 2010, she was in a position to begin gathering members for a team and Ibuki Taiko was born.
Ibuki means ‘breath’ in Japanese. It holds connotations of revigoration, of breathing new life into something – exactly what Ibuki Taiko dreams of doing for the art of Taiko in the North of Ireland.
Taiko combines elements of percussion with elements of theatre, dance and martial arts and is based on 4 key principles (Attitude, Technique, Kata and Ki) that reach far beyond the drum and provide learning for life.
