Kenny Endo (born April 2, 1953) is an American musician and
taiko
are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called and to the form of ensemble drumming m ...
master. He is the leader of several taiko ensembles and regularly tours, performing traditional and contemporary taiko music. Endo is also the first non-Japanese national to receive a natori in the field of hogaku hayashi, Japanese classical drumming. Today Endo composes his own music and plays taiko professionally as a solo artist, with his ensembles, and in collaboration with other artists.
Early life
Kenny Endo was born on April 2, 1953, in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, to an
Issei
is a Japanese-language term used by ethnic Japanese in countries in North America and South America to specify the Japanese people who were the first generation to immigrate there. are born in Japan; their children born in the new country are ...
(first generation) father and
Nisei
is a Japanese-language term used in countries in North America and South America to specify the ethnically Japanese children born in the new country to Japanese-born immigrants (who are called ). The are considered the second generation, ...
(second generation) mother
Japanese American
are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...
parents. Endo was raised in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
with his brother and three sisters, and while he was exposed to some Japanese culture as a child, he grew up as an American.
[Doyle, Mark. "The Beat Goes On." MidWeek 28 February 1996. Print.] From an early age, he loved drums and taiko, and started playing drums at nine years of age. Endo played in the school orchestra and band, and on his own drum set throughout middle and high school.
Endo began college at the
University of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz or UCSC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Santa Cruz, California. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of California syste ...
; he would eventually major in
Political Science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
and minor in
Ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology is the study of music from the cultural and social aspects of the people who make it. It encompasses distinct theoretical and methodical approaches that emphasize cultural, social, material, cognitive, biological, and other dim ...
at
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
. In 1973, while still in college, he had the opportunity to do a six-month field study on a Native American reservation in Arizona, which had served as
Poston War Relocation Center
The Poston Internment Camp, located in Yuma County (now in La Paz County) in southwestern Arizona, was the largest (in terms of area) of the ten American concentration camps operated by the War Relocation Authority during World War II.
The sit ...
, the largest Japanese-American internment camp during
WWII
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. The experience was a big turning point in his life that made him want to learn more about his own culture. Around the same time, in 1973, Kenny had his first experience with kumidaiko (ensemble drumming) when he saw
San Francisco Taiko Dojo 'San Francisco Taiko Dojo'', founded in 1968 by Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka, was the first taiko group in North America, and has been seen as the primary link between the Japanese and North American branches of the art form. Additionally, Tanaka's b ...
perform in San Jose.
The performance made him realize that
taiko
are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called and to the form of ensemble drumming m ...
was something he wanted to do in life.
[Leong, David. "Interview with Kenny Endo." http://www.taiko.com/taiko_resource/news/inter_kennyendo_022098.html] After finishing his time on the Native American reservation, Endo returned to Los Angeles and in 1975 was accepted into Kinnara Taiko, the seminal taiko group in Los Angeles, which is based in the
Senshin Buddhist Temple
The Senshin Buddhist Temple (formerly called the Senshin Buddhist Church) is a Buddhist temple in Los Angeles, California. An affiliate of the Buddhist Churches of America (BCA), the temple was built in 1951. It is known for its maintenance ...
.
Career
However, at the time
Kinnara Taiko
''Kinnara Taiko'' is a Japanese American drumming ensemble (playing taiko) based out of Senshin Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles, USA. They began playing taiko in 1969 when a few third-generation Japanese Americans gathered after an Obon festival ...
was only playing during the
Obon
or just is fusion of the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits and a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist– Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people ret ...
festival season, and Endo wanted more practice. He consequently spent a summer studying with
Seiichi Tanaka
is the first Japan-trained teacher of kumidaiko, or taiko, in the United States and is largely regarded as the father of the art form in North America.
Early life
Tanaka was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1943 and immigrated to the United States in 19 ...
and the San Francisco Taiko Dojo (SFTD), and, after finishing school at the
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
in 1976, he moved to
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
to continue working with SFTD.
While there, he studied taiko by day and worked as a jazz musician by night.
Up until this point in his life, Endo had been heavily influenced by his love of all music, especially rock and jazz. In 1979, he had to make the choice of whether to continue studying taiko and move to Japan, or to pursue jazz seriously and move to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. He chose taiko, which combined his interest in drums and music and his desire to get back to his cultural roots, and, in 1980, Endo moved to Japan to study the roots of the art form.
The trip, which was originally supposed to last one year, took a total of ten.
While in Japan Endo studied and mastered three types of Japanese drumming:
kumi-daiko
are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called and to the form of ensemble drumming ...
(group drumming), hogaku hayashi (classical drumming), and matsuri bayashi (festival music).
He started by playing in a group called O Suwa Daiko for six months before moving to Tokyo at the end of 1980. While in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, he studied with Sukeroku Taiko, and when Sukeroku Taiko split into two groups in 1982, Endo joined Oedo Sukeroku Taiko, with whom he stayed until 1987. Endo also began to do freelance work and duets in 1983, and by 1987 he had gone solo, continuing his studies and composing his own taiko music. Also while in Japan, Endo received a ''natori'' (stage name) in hogaku hayashi, Japanese classical drumming. Natori literally means “to take on a name,” and it functions as both a name to perform under and a license to teach. Endo was the first ever foreigner to receive the high honor of a natori in the field of hogaku hayashi.
His stage name is Mochizuki Tajiro.
After spending ten years in Japan, Endo applied for and was granted a scholarship through the
East-West Center
East West (or East and West) may refer to:
*East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture
Arts and entertainment
Books, journals and magazines
*''East, West'', an anthology of short stories written by Salma ...
at the
University of Hawaii
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
(UH). In 1990, he moved to
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...
, with his wife, Chizuko Endo, and two sons, to pursue graduate studies in
Ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology is the study of music from the cultural and social aspects of the people who make it. It encompasses distinct theoretical and methodical approaches that emphasize cultural, social, material, cognitive, biological, and other dim ...
at UH. While there, the university asked him to teach, and Endo began teaching taiko classes through the non-credit program at UH. The program quickly grew, and soon was too large of a capacity for UH to handle. In 1994, Kenny and Chizuko moved the classes to the chapel on the site of Kapiolani Community College and started the Taiko Center of the Pacific (TCP), which offers classes to people of all ages and abilities.
["Taiko Center of the Pacific." Kenny Endo – Taiko Artist » Taiko Center of the Pacific. Web. 3 May 2010. .]
Music
Currently Endo has two main performing groups: The Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble (KETE) and the Kenny Endo Contemporary Ensemble. The Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble was started around 1991, and today has 3 groups: one based in Japan, one in Hawaii, and one on the mainland US.
KETE plays mainly kumidaiko, and splits its time between performing pieces by other composers, pieces composed by Endo, and pieces composed by group members. The Contemporary Ensemble “performs original works combining taiko with melodic and other instruments such as koto,” and serves as Endo’s experimental group. Beyond just being a taiko artist, Kenny Endo is influenced by music from around the world, and these influences come out in his compositions. Kenny Endo has also done a lot of work as a soloist, and is known around the world for his taiko drumming.
Today Endo would like to continue the musical and cultural innovation he has started. His time is split between performing, composing, and teaching, and his goal is to pass on his learnings to the future generations through his school. In the future, Endo plans to expand his performances and collaborations with other artists.
Collaborations and awards
Kenny Endo has worked with numerous artists on many distinguished projects.
His works include, but are not limited to, opening for
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
, performing a duet with singer
Bobby McFerrin
Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American folk and jazz singer. He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also rap ...
, performing for
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
and
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
, as well as
Princess Diana
Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...
and
Prince Charles
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
. He has performed with the
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (Cantonese: 香港管弦樂團), commonly abbreviated as HKPO or HKPhil (Cantonese: 港樂), is the largest symphony orchestra in Hong Kong. First established in 1947 as an amateur orchestra under the name Si ...
, the
Honolulu Symphony The Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, formerly known as Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, was founded in 1900. It is the second oldest orchestra in the USA west of the Rocky Mountains. The orchestra now plays at Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall and the Hawaii Th ...
, and the
Tokyo Symphony
The or TSO, was established in 1946 as the Toho Symphony Orchestra (東宝交響楽団). It assumed its present name in 1951.
Based in Kawasaki, the TSO performs in numerous concert halls and serves as pit orchestra for some productions at Ne ...
. Endo has recorded music for 3 films:
Kayo Hatta
Kayo Hatta (March 18, 1958 – July 20, 2005) was an American filmmaker, writer, and community activist. She directed and co-wrote the independent dramatic feature-length film '' Picture Bride'', which won the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award ...
’s “Picture Bride,” Francis Ford Coppola’s “
Apocalypse Now
''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius and Michael Herr, is loosely based on the 1899 novella ''Heart of Darkness'' by Joseph Conr ...
,” and James Cameron’s “
Avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...
.” He was also featured in the PBS special, “The Spirit of Taiko” (2006).
Endo has received commissions to compose and tour new music from the
American Composers Forum, the
McKnight Foundation
The McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based family foundation, advances a more just, creative, and abundant future where people and planet thrive. Established in 1953, the McKnight Foundation is deeply committed to advancing climate solutions in ...
, The
Children's Theatre Company
The Children's Theatre Company is a regional theater established in 1965 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, specializing in plays for families, young audiences and the very young. The theater is the largest theater for multigenerational audiences in th ...
, the
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, after the Carneg ...
(MAPP), the
Japan Foundation
The was established in 1972 by an Act of the National Diet as a special legal entity to undertake international dissemination of Japanese culture, and became an Independent Administrative Institution under the jurisdiction of the Ministry o ...
, Continental Harmony, the Freeman Foundation, Hawai`i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, Stanford Lively Arts, and the
Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts.
Discography
Endo has recorded seven CDs of original taiko compositions:
*Eternal Energy (1994): Featuring the Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble of Tokyo
*Hibiki (1998): Featuring the Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble of Tokyo
*Jugoya (2000): Featuring the Kenny Endo Taiko Ensembles of Tokyo and Honolulu
*Essence (2001): Featuring Kenny Endo,
Masayuki Koga, Michiyo Koga
*On The Way
ichi Yuki(2007): Featuring Joji Hirota, John Kaizan Neptune, and Kenny Endo
*Rhythm Summit: featuring Noel Okimoto, Dean Taba, and Kenny Endo
*Honua (earth): featuring Derek Nakamoto and Kenny Endo
References
External links
http://www.taikoarts.com/about.html
http://www.kennyendo.com/programs/kece
{{DEFAULTSORT:Endo, Kenny
1953 births
Living people
Musicians from Los Angeles
American musicians of Japanese descent
Taiko players