The following description comes from the event organizer.

Taiko Master * Ensemble Drumming * Award Winning

45th Anniversary Tour: Breaking Through Tradition to Innovation: Kenny Endo’s Taiko Journey

Kenny Endo is a world-class taiko artist who continues to pave new paths for this Japanese style of drumming. A performer, composer, and teacher of taiko with numerous awards and accolades, Endo is a consummate artist, blending Japanese taiko with globally-influenced rhythms, original melodies, and improvisation.

A 45-year career taiko practitioner, Endo has paved the way for aspiring taiko drummers and remains at the vanguard of the genre.

Instrumental in popularizing the taiko art form in the United States, Kenny Endo’s name is synonymous with the word “taiko” in the greater musical world. He holds the distinction of being the first non-Japanese national to be honored with a natori (stage name and master’s license) in classical Japanese drumming. Endo has traveled the world, presenting his music that blends East and West. Most recently, Endo’s music was featured in a documentary on the 25-year history of the Honolulu Festival, for which he composed “Spirit of Rice.”