SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - Large Japanese barrel-like drums will fill the air with the sounds of rolling thunder when Taikoza, Japanese Drumming Ensemble, visits Penn State Schuylkill tonight.
The free performance, which is open to the public, is part of the campus' Cultural Events Series. It will feature the sound of Japanese taiko drums and starts at 7 p.m. in Penn State Schuylkill's John E. Morgan Auditorium.
"We're bringing the company to celebrate Asian-American history," said Valerie Clay, assistant director of student affairs at the campus. "Hopefully, it should be extremely enjoyable to the students and the community."
The campus is trying to celebrate all of Asian heritage, especially with Chinese New Year approaching, which is Feb. 10.
Taikoza, a Japanese music and dance group, was founded by Marco Lienhard in 1995.
According to the Taikoza website, drawing from Japan's rich tradition of music and performance, Taikoza created a new sound using a variety of traditional instruments.
In addition to drums of different sizes, Taikoza performers also play the shakuhachi and the fue, both bamboo flutes, and the koto, a 13-string instrument.
Taikoza, along with East Winds Ensemble, which Lienhard also founded, are part of a not-for-profit organization, East Winds Inc., based in New York that promotes Japanese music.
Lienhard has released many CDs to critical acclaim, including "Taikoza: Beginnings," which was nominated for best World Music CD for the Just Plain Folks awards, his first solo shakuhachi album became a best seller in Japan and he can be heard on the award-winning Nintendo Wii games "Red Steel" and "Red Steel 2," which won awards for best score.
He has also appeared on many TV programs, including the NBC Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the sumo tournament filmed at Madison Square Garden, ABC's "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee," History Channel, ESPN, PBS and more in Europe and Asia.
According to a Penn State Schuylkill press release, Taikoza has performed in Europe and Asia, has appeared on the History Channel and "The Last Samurai" DVD set.
Taikoza's goal is to educate people about the exciting art form of taiko drumming and introduce them to Japanese culture.
Clay said that with the campus closing early Monday, if campus closes today, the event will be postponed.
For more information on Taikoza, visit www.taikoza.com.