From Obon to Kumi Daiko: Big Drum in Hawai`i
The steady beat of a taiko has long provided the accompaniment for Bon-odori celebrations in Hawai`i. The taiko tradition has been passed along from generation to generation and from one family member to another. Third-generation taiko player Kay (Watanabe) Fukumoto, who learned Obon taiko from her grandfather Tomio and her father, Albert Watanabe—former Keahua plantation musician—recalls: “Ever since I can remember, my mom would take me to my dad’s taiko practices during Obon season. My sister and I would just hang out and watch the old men get together and practice and play and socialize afterwards. At a certain point …