Kenny Endo is at the vanguard of the taiko genre, continually paving new paths for this Japanese style of drumming. A performer, composer, and teacher of taiko with numerous awards and accolades, Kenny Endo is a consummate artist, arguably one of the most versatile musicians in the genre, crossing easily between the classical Japanese style and his own neo-traditional, globally-inspired variety. As a guest artist to several Kabuki productions at Kennedy Theatre, including The Road to Tokyo (1990), Sukeroku: Flower of Edo (1995), and Summer Festival: A Mirror of Osaka (2000), Endo has generously contributed to Kabuki in English by sharing his art and expertise with UHM students.

Originally trained as a jazz musician in the Asian American cultural renaissance of 1970s California, Endo began his taiko career first with L.A.’s groundbreaking Kinnara Taiko, then with the renowned San Francisco Taiko Dojo, the first kumi daiko (ensemble drumming) group outside of Japan. In 1980, he embarked on a decade-long odyssey in his ancestral Japan, studying and performing with the masters of classical drumming, traditional Tokyo festival music, and ensemble drumming. Endo has the honor of being the first non-Japanese national to have received a natori (stage name and masters license) in hogaku hayashi (classical drumming). In the hogaku world, Endo is known as Mochizuki Tajiro.

Endo has appeared at the Smithsonian, the National Museum of American History, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., the Lincoln Center in NYC, the Theatre de Champs-Elysee in Paris, the Kabukiza, and the Japan National Theater. As a soloist, Endo has performed with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Honolulu Symphony, the Stanford Symphony, the Tokyo Symphony, and the Brazilian Orquestra Experimental. He has performed for musicians Michael Jackson, Prince, The Who, as well as Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana.  His music is featured on the soundtracks for Kayo Hatta’s film “Picture Bride,” Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now,” James Cameron’s “Avatar,” and numerous TV commercials. He was a featured artist on the PBS special “Spirit of Taiko.”

To read more about Kenny Endo’s achievements, please visit his professional website.