The Kenny Endo 50th Anniversary Honolulu Celebration was a wonderful week of events with supporters, friends, teachers, fellow musicians, alumni, fans, students, and more. MAHALO NUI LOA to all who attended the celebration in person and virtually and all who supported the celebration through donations, volunteering, and more. The Honolulu Celebration included The MA間 vs Groove Concerts I and II, senior community outreach, collegiate taiko gathering, (18) workshops, (3) cultural presentations, and film premiere of “Healing Beats.” It was educational, mesmerizing, inspiring, and meaningful. It showcased the breadth and depth of Endo’s experience, talent, and his impact.
BUT….the celebration continues through Spring 2026 to various locales on the continent.
Your donations support the prospering of the art of taiko locally, nationally, and internationally.
September 19 – Kahilu Theatre, Waimea, Big Island
September 20 – Anaina Hou, Kilauea, Kauai
October 14 – Finney Chapel, Oberlin, OH
October 20 – Rialto Theatre, Loveland, CO
November 14 – Reser Performing Arts Center, Beaverton, OR
November 15 – Fine Arts and Events Hall, Port Angeles, WA
November 17 – Triple Door, Seattle, WA
November 22 – Aratani Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
Follow Endo’s activities at: www.kennyendo.com; www.kennyendo50.com
間 MA vs GROOVE – The Kenny Endo 50th Anniversary Celebration Project –
(2) distinctly different concerts, workshops, cultural presentations, U.S. premiere film screening of taiko documentary, community outreach
There are many activities planned for August 9-15, 2025 and many ways in which you can participate. Concert Tickets are ON SALE NOW: ke50.eventbrite.com
August 9 – 間 MA vs GROOVE Concert I – Tradition & Innovation
featuring Japanese Traditional Music and Dance with special guests Mochizuki Saburo (tsuzumi, taiko), Suzuki Kyosuke (lion dance, bamboo flutes, taiko), Okayasu Kiyora (Akiko Miura, shamisen, vocals), Mochizuki Sabuya, Mochizuki Tawamori, Kineya Sakio (Bryson Goda, shamisen), Fujima Saeka (Mika Yamazaki, Nihon Buyo), Mochizuki Takeru, Mochizuki Mukon (J.D. Andrade, taiko, bamboo flutes), and other special guests PLUS
Contemporary Taiko Collaborations with Jazz Artists Noel Okimoto (drums, vibes), Dean Taba (bass), Todd Yukumoto (saxophone, flute), Abe Lagrimas Jr. (drums, vibes, ukulele), Yi-Chieh Jay Lai (guzheng); The Renkon Film Project by Noe Tanigawa; Pei-ling Kao (contemporary dance); and other special guests
Concert Tickets are ON SALE NOW: ke50.eventbrite.com
August 10 – 間 MA vs GROOVE Concert II – The Next Generation!
featuring Taiko Center of the Pacific Youth & Adult Ensembles with guests
Shoji Kameda, Hiroshi Tanaka, Michael Gonhata, ManMan Mui, Maureen “Mo” Kearns, YG Alumni, and other special guests
Concert Tickets are ON SALE NOW: ke50.eventbrite.com
August 11 – Outreach and Collegiate Gathering
August 12-14 – (18) 間 MA vs GROOVE Summer Taiko Intensive
(6) Workshops Daily and Nightly Cultural Presentations
w/ master artists: Kenny Endo, Mochizuki Saburo (Hogaku), Suzuki Kyosuke (lion dance, taiko), Mochizuki Mukon (J.D. Andrade, Hogaku on Chudaiko), PJ Hirabayashi, Russel Baba, Jeanne Mercer, Shoji Kameda, Hiroshi Tanaka, Michael Gonhata, Sho’on Shibata, David Jones, and others
間MA vs Groove WORKSHOPS Registration OPEN NOW: https://taikoartscenter.ticketspice.com/ke50-workshops
Partial/Full Workshop Scholarships available to youth through college students.
Apply at: KE50scholarship@gmail.com
August 12-14 – 間 MA vs GROOVE Nightly Cultural Programs featuring
Aug 12 Tues – Hogaku Bayashi with Mochizuki Saburo (Japanese classical music as found in Kabuki and Nagauta);
Aug 13 Wed – Edo Sato Kagura (shrine music and dance) with Suzuki Kyosuke;
Aug 14 Thurs – Tradition as a Basis for Innovation, with Kenny Endo
August 15 – U.S. Premiere film screening of “Healing Beats,” a documentary about the art of taiko and its global impact by Spanish film maker Ivan Munoz Ureta at the Doris Duke Theatre,
Honolulu Museum of Art
“Healing Beats” ticket sales begin in JULY at: https://honolulumuseum.org/events?genres%5B%5D=13
Plan to celebrate with us in Honolulu Hawaii!