DESCRIPTION:
Highlights from the world premiere of Crimson Sky. Filmed at City Recital Hall Angel Place, Sydney on 30 March 2012.

Based on a haiku by Japanese poet Miura Yuzuru, Toward The Crimson Sky has been written by Taikoz Artistic Director Ian Cleworth, evoking the poem's sensual, dramatic and often playful imagery of a cloud of dragonflies ascending into a deep red sky.

The thunderous drumming of the taiko is interwoven with the hypnotic melodies of the shakuhachi and shinobue bamboo flutes, voice and a rare performance on the bass koto, a traditional Japanese 17-stringed plucked instrument to be played by special guest artist Satsuki Odamura.

The program also featured new works by the two youngest Taikoz members: from the peaceful meditation of Solace by Tom Royce-Hampton to the dynamic high energy of Exploration by Anton Lock. Ian Cleworth's crowd favourite Ota.i.ko will also make a welcome return. This joyous and fast-paced work will feature the spectacle of eleven taiko drummers taking to the stage with Taikoz joined by members of Taiko No Wa, Taikoz's ensemble of students.

"More than a bunch of drummers... Taikoz can soar in hypnotic waves of rhythm." Sydney Morning Herald

"Taikoz astound and mesmerise with its musicianship. They show what cross-cultural collaboration at its best can achieve." Courier Mail