CO M P O S E D B Y S H O J I K A M E D A

CO N C E I V E D B Y B R YA N YA M A M I

A D D I T I O N A L C H O R E O G R A P H Y B Y Y U TA K AT O

N O TAT I O N D E V E LO P E D B Y J E A N N E K I YA N A N D J E N N I F E R B A I K

The seeds for OMIYAGE were planted in the development of TAIKOPROJECT’s first tour,“(re)generation,” in

2003-2004. As part of the show, Bryan had conceived a closing song that could be shared with taiko

communities wherever the group toured. As part of his role as Musical Director for TP at the time, Shoji

composed and developed Omiyage with the original cast, setting the base musical structure and

patterns. From 2004 - 2006, as the group continued to play Omiyage, Yuta worked on refining the

movements of the chudaiko part, and Bryan worked on refining the odaiko and shime/okedo parts. In

the meantime, Shoji and Kris Bergstrom (from On Ensemble) more fully developed sharing ideas for

Omiyage with Open Source sharing concepts. Finally, with current TP member Jennifer Baik and

graphic designer extraordinaire (and Bombu Taiko member) Jeanne Kiyan, we are now happy to share

with you the notation for Omiyage (that we promised in our first DVD). Note that this is Version 1, and

we will be adding more and more to this as we have time to script the finer details of playing the song,

not just the base music and form.

Should you want to talk a little about Omiyage when you perform it, feel free to use the notes below,

which is what we use in our performances, and enjoy (and share some more)!!

Omiyage was written by Shoji Kameda and refers to the traditional Japanese custom of gift-giving.

During workshops and residency activities, the LA-based TAIKOPROJECT has taught Omiyage and offered

it to communities as their omiyage for all the gifts they received from their taiko teachers and commu-

nity. Omiyage is a celebration of the love of taiko, the excitement of seeing taiko for the first time, and

the open, sharing attitude that is North American Taiko.

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