TAIKOPROJECT

TAIKOPROJECT was founded in 2000 in Los Angeles, California by a group of young, emerging taiko drummers led by Bryan Yamami and Masato Baba. The group continues to define a modern American style of taiko, blending traditional forms with an innovative and fresh aesthetic. TAIKOPROJECT became the first American taiko group to win the prestigious Tokyo International Taiko Contest in 2005. That year, they were cast in the Mitsubishi Eclipse commercial, the first and still only national advertising campaign to prominently feature taiko. Since then, the group has performed on the Academy Awards, the Grammy Awards, NBC's "The Voice," rock band 30 Seconds to Mars' "Up in the Air" music video, Conan, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. TAIKOPROJECT has performed and recorded with Stevie Wonder, Peter Gabriel, Hans Zimmer, Alicia Keys, and John Legend. They appeared on Ovation TV's "The Art Of", The Late Late Show with James Corden, Food Network's Iron Chef Gauntlet, and the MTV Movie & TV Awards. TAIKOPROJECT has performed at many of the premiere performing arts centers in the country, including the Hobby Center (Houston, TX), Ordway Center (St. Paul, MN), Meany Hall (Seattle, WA), Mondavi Center (Davis, CA), Gammage Auditorium (Phoenix, AZ), TPAC (Nashville, TN), Kentucky Performing Arts (Louisville, KY), and the Ferst Center (Atlanta, GA), just to name a few. In 2025, TAIKOPROJECT celebrated their 25th Anniversary with a concert at the prestigious Walt Disney Concert Hall.