Bonnie of UZUME Taiko had hearts beating as she and her partner played a parade of tiako drums outside the library for the annual Summer Reading Club wind up party.
Everyone got a chance to enjoy the sheer volume of the drums as well as learn of their historical value to the Japanese people. “Taiko” is the Japanese word for ‘big drum’ and Uzume derives from the name of the goddess of laughter ‘Ame No Uzume No Mikoto’.
There were demonstrations of how the drums were used to inspire warriors, calm babies, and celebrate good harvests from land and sea.
This show wound up a great summer of reading and entertainment for local kids and adults with the support of Fraser Valley Regional Library, the Royal Bank, District of Kent and Village of Harrison Hot Springs, the Agassiz Library Society: Friends and many community partners.