Established in 1994, Portland Taiko Ensemble is an award-winning Asian American drumming ensemble. The performers weave rhythm, melody, humor and movement together into an exhilarating musical experience. By combining traditional and contemporary compositions and choreography, Portland Taiko Ensemble takes Asian American music into unexplored territory with its innovative and provocative creations.

Taiko, the Japanese word for drum and the name of the art form, has its roots in ancient Japanese tradition and was used in religious ceremonies, community festivals and theater. The boundaries of villages were defined by the distance from which the community taiko could be heard. American taiko was born in the late 1960s, and it became a powerful symbol of voice during the struggle for redress of the Japanese American internment.

To maintain those roots, Portland Taiko pioneered a unique community involvement process. The Rock the Boat project, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, engaged members of the Asian American community in creating a ground-breaking performance challenging racism through voice, movement, stories, image, and taiko. The Rock the Boat school assembly program is available on tour.

The only professional taiko company in the Pacific Northwest, Portland Taiko Ensemble was honored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the American Composers Forum to represent the state of Oregon in Continental Harmony. The ensemble is also widely recognized as a leading group in the North American taiko community. In November 2001, Portland Taiko traveled to Japan for a pilgrimage of workshops, performances and cultural exchange. The tour included intensive study with several taiko masters, as well as Hanayui based at Kodo Village on Sado Island.

Portland Taiko released its second CD, Big Bang, in September 2003, on which the true sound of the drums is clearly recorded, and for which the touring program is like-named.In 2004, Portland Taiko celebrated its 10th anniversary with a landmark concert season, On the Shoulders of Giants. June 2006 Portland Taiko hosted more than thirty taiko groups from the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada at the Regional Taiko Gathering and in 2007 the group returned to the Kennedy Center for the 23rd Annual Open House Arts Festival.

Today, Portland Taiko Ensemble brings its own unique, contemporary style and innovations in taiko to over 70,000 people a year at festivals, schools, theaters, colleges, and fairs. Portland Taiko is eager to share its artistry throughout the country.