Interviews

1. Realizing Importance of Birthplace

2. Honing Artistic Talent at Camp

3. The Birth of Kinnara

4. Taiko Community

5. Defining "Lifestyle"

6. Playing for Yourself

7. Ocean of Sound: Taiko in the Womb

8. Getting along with "Jichan" and "Bachan"

9. Pushing Taiko to the Limit

10. Influencing Japan

11. Japanese American Taiko

12. Thank You, Shakuhachi

Abe,George

(b. 1944) taiko and flute performer

Pushing Taiko to the Limit

What was great for me to see, I was inspired by the fact that people could and did incorporate whatever was part of their upbringing. So some people had incorporated drum and bugle corps type rhythms and techniques. Others had taken more non-traditional instruments and brought them into Taiko. I mean beating on mufflers and things like that. Canon, they call it. It turns our Tanaka Sensei uses one, too. But when I first saw it, it was kind of mind-blowing. And to hear all the different kinds of sounds you could get out of it—very creative. I saw pretty much the difference in groups in terms of some who were more traditional as opposed to some who were really trying to push the limits. And of the two, I kind of like the ones who push the limits. My favorite part of doing taiko has always been the shishimai and coming up with different stories or ways that we could present the Mayan dance. That’s been my favorite thing to do besides playing fue and shakuhachi.

dance drum flutes Japanese flutes music shakuhachi shishimai (dance) taiko

Date: December 10, 2004

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Art Hansen, Sojin Kim

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

George Abe (b. 1944), renowned taiko and flute performer, was born at Manzanar concentration camp. He was one year old when his family relocated to Los Angeles, California. His mother was kibei, born in the city of Orange, California, moved to Japan when she was about nine years old, and returned to Los Angeles at about 26 years of age. His father was an Issei.

George grew up among artists and musicians, often attending biwa (lute) recitals with his mother. He played multiple instruments in his school band, including the clarinet, saxophone and oboe. As an adult, George remained fascinated with music, and learned to play the shakuhachi and fue, traditional Japanese flute-like instruments.

George was a founding member of Kinnara Taiko, a taiko group based at Senshin Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles, and remains associated with them today. Kinnara Taiko was one of the first taiko groups to form in North America, second only to Sensei Seichi Tanaka’s San Francisco Taiko Dojo. George believes in the influential power of art and the energizing effects of taiko. He uses his art to bring cultural, spiritual and community awareness to others. (December 10, 2004)