Tataku is a taiko ensemble made up entirely of school-aged musicians, with members ranging in age from 14-18. An offshoot of Taikoz’ Australian Taiko Academy, the group is led by professional Taiko player and long-term Taikoz member Ryuji Hamada, who grew up in Yokohama, Japan, and has been playing Taiko since he was a kid himself.
The ensemble learns traditional Japanese music and contemporary repertoire for Taiko, and is regularly invited to perform at community festivals and events in Sydney and regional NSW. Recent collaborations include performances with Lane Cove Youth Orchestra, and the dance group Twisting Tornados. Appropriately, Tataku derives its name from the Japanese word to “hit” or “play” drums.