Kumi-Daiko
/ˌkuːmi ˈdaɪkoʊ/noun
A Japanese style of ensemble drumming performed by multiple players on traditional drums.
Did you know?Modern kumi-daiko was largely shaped in postwar Japan, especially after Daihachi Oguchi created a new ensemble format in 1951 by arranging traditional taiko for coordinated group performance.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Japanese
Japanese
組 (kumi)
“A group, set, or organized assembly; from the verb meaning to join or assemble.”
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
大鼓 (dàgǔ)
“Literally “great drum”; the source of the Japanese drum term.”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
太鼓 (taiko)
“A large drum or traditional Japanese drum; the character 太 was read as ta and 鼓 as ko.”
Modern Japanese
Japanese
組太鼓 (kumi-daiko)
“Ensemble drumming, literally “group drum”; 組 is combined with 太鼓.”
1951
Japanese
組太鼓 (kumi-daiko)
“Daihachi Oguchi developed a modern multi-drum ensemble format associated with the postwar revival of taiko performance.”
Modern English
English
kumi-daiko
“A Japanese ensemble-drumming style and, more broadly, the group-based taiko tradition popularized internationally.”