What to Know
- Monday, June 8 at 12:30 p.m.
- JFLA Facebook Live!
- Taiko drumming, Japanese flute, shamisen
Connecting to the spirit of a sound before you even see the instrument?
It's a moving and frequently felt experience, one that many music lovers have known.
And if you've ever walked into a festival where Taiko drumming is taking place, then you know that you can instantly connect to a particular power and beauty well in advance of seeing the drummers on stage.
Savoring that strong sound, over a free lunchtime concert, is something many fans of Taiko and other traditional Japanese instruments are longing for during these stay-at-home days.
Helping us find that marvelous music from our living rooms and dens? Japan Foundation Los Angeles, which is presenting a complimentary concert each Monday at 12:30 p.m. via JFLA Facebook Live!
Ken Koshio, an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, will headline the Monday, June 8 concert.
Mr. Koshio is known for his Taiko drumming, as well as creating ethereal music on the shamisen, a traditional three-string instrument.
Joining the celebrated singer-songwriter? His son Miro, who will play the Japanese flute.
If you saw him live when he lived in Los Angeles some years ago, then you know the "Global Peace Warrior" finds the power and poetry in performing.
Mr. Koshio was also the creator of the Thousand Cranes Tour in 2002, an event that gave "prayer and comfort to those who have experienced tragic, world-wide events." He created the happening following 9/11 as a way to connect with people across the country as he traveled from Los Angeles to New York.
"Ken continues to challenge musical genres through collaborating with Native American artists and receiving a teaching certification for Hiroshima Jidaiko (Indigenous Taiko drums) from The Hiroshima Preservation Society," shared JFLA.
The foundation's free Music Mondays series will continue throughout June, with performances by Sayaka Alessandroni, Makiko Hirata, and LAPRETE aka Aidan James all just ahead.
