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

George Abe

(b. 1944) taiko and flute performer

The Birth of Kinnara

I think probably everybody has a different version. I just remember we were putting away the drum. Every year, only one drum was here at the temple, and that was the one that was used for obon. Inoue Sensei, one the nihon-gakko senseis here, played that taiko for the ondo—for the pacing or beat for the dancers. He had a very distinct style.

This is right about the birth… When Mas is here—and he’s beginning to talk about studying chanting and Buddhist music and things like that—some of us began to take an interest in that type of Taiko, that type of drumming for the dancers. So some of us were beginning to learn how Inoue Sensei was playing these rhythms. But we were putting away the drum, and we just started kind of jamming on it. I think we played for a couple of hours. I don’t think it was all night or anything like that. I do remember my hands getting bloody, blisters breaking and just feeling tremendous—this energized kind of feeling from playing that drum. I think that was the birth for us.

drum identity Kinnara Taiko music 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)