Marco Lienhard: Press
In its choreography and its vigor taiko becomes almost a martial art, one in which violence has been sublimated into disciplined exultation…a blend of high-decibel virtuosity and songful shakuhachi solos…Precision and energy are paramount here and the product, for me at least, was medicinal. It is a combination narcotic, stimulant and vitamin pill. It left one listener feeling better on exit than entry.
Bernhard Holland - New York Times
Something strange and wonderful is coming your way. There was thunder and there was lightning and there was the sea crashing against a cliff, and there were birds, and volcanoes spitting fury at mortals, and festivals...For a few utterly transporting minutes … there was expressed in the metaphors of merciless rhythms and fluttering melodies, anything a listener had experienced, would experience, could imagine experiencing.
Eric Hubler - Washington Post
Few adjectives can explain the sound, emotion, and overall experience of the pounding drums of a live performance….my senses were rattled.
- Nichi Bei Times
“Taikoza has moved the drums into the foreground and into an exciting visual explosion”
- The Dothan Eagle
The concert was full of stirring music….from the most delicate and mournful bamboo flute song to the loudest and most pulsating beat, the dedicated passion of the group was inspiring.
- The Richmond News leader