Shumei Taiko Ensemble Drummers. In ancient Japan, the beat of a drum or “taiko” accompanied petitions to God. Today, the ceremony lives on and is called "Mikotonori," in which the sound of drumming bridges the divide between the human and the divine. The thunder of taiko is pure. It cleanses both the senses and the surroundings of those who pray. Mikotonori is a prayer in which the hopes and thankfulness of those participating rise straight to God. Such occasions of transcendence are known as "kanno doko,"moments in which the spiritual and physical worlds speak to each otherand are entwined with divine light. It was at such a moment that the Shumei Taiko Ensemble was born.

Shumei Taiko Ensemble believes that art can touch every human being despite the differences of language, customs, race and religion. The mystical power which springs from the artist’s soup passes through the written word, the picture and the musical instrument, and plucks at the soul of all humankind. It is our goal to bring all hearts together in a united call for world peace.