Earth Rhythm is a collaborative concert project initiated and produced by Shuichi Hidano, a world-renowned Japanese taiko drummer. Hidano has traveled around the world to introduce the powerful rhythms of traditional taiko drums and has performed over 2,700 times in 40 countries to date. Traversing the globe, he experienced the diverse rhythms of many different ethnicities, and found himself inspired and influenced by them—often through joint performances with local musicians.
In December, Min-On sponsored a cross-cultural collaboration of Earth Rhythm alongside percussionists and versatile musicians from diverse backgrounds on their first Japanese concert tour across five major cities. The tour featured Hidano himself as master taiko drummer and artistic director, Latin percussion virtuoso Masato “Pecker” Hashida from Japan, expert sabar drummer Wagane Ndiaye Rose from Senegal, Brazilian pandeiro player (and versatile instrumentalist) Robson Correa do Amaral, steel drum virtuoso Tony Guppy from Trinidad and Tobago, Korean master percussionist Min Young-Chi and four additional Japanese musicians: Issai, Getao Takahashi, Yuji Hasegawa and Hiroto Ishida. The passionate innovation of Earth Rhythm generated a powerful beat of global percussion instruments and a dynamic ensemble of ethnicities on stage, drawing enthusiastic cheers and applause from a capacity crowd at each concert venue across Japan.
