BERKELEY — San Francisco Taiko Dojo will present the 45th International Taiko Festival on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 10, at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall on the UC Berkeley campus.
Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka, founder and leader of San Francisco Taiko Dojo, will perform with his group and the San Francisco Taiko Dojo Rising Stars.
They will be joined by two other California-based groups, Sacramento Taiko Dan, led by Tiffany Tamaribuchi, and Shasta Taiko, led by Russel Hisashi Baba and Jeanne Aiko Mercer.
Special guests from Japan:
Osuwa Daiko from Nagano Prefecture, founded by the late Daihachi Oguchi and featuring his daughter, Kasumi Oguchi, and his successor, Makoto Yamamoto;
Tsuzumi master Tosha Kiyonari, director of Nihon Taiko Dojo;
Hachijo Daiko from Hachijo Island, led by Hiroo Asanuma;
Yasuhide Tanaka from Wako Daiko, based in Saitama Prefecture.
More special guests: Kenny Endo from Hawaii, Kawachi Ondo (traditional Japanese folk songs), Shogo Yamada and Yamasho Kai, Matsuriza from Florida, Fushu Daiko from Florida, shakuhachi player Marco Lienhard, and Kaoru Watanabe from New York.
Tickets are $46, $39 and $34. Students and seniors receive a $2 discount per ticket. Groups of 15 or more receive a 10 percent discount. Contact the ticket office at (510) 642-9988 for group pricing.
For reservations and additional information, call (415) 928-2456 or visit www.taikodojo.org/.