Wa Daiko is the name that is given to the traditional art form of taiko drumming from the country of Japan.
"Wa" stands for "Japanese" and "Daiko" means "drum(s)" ; so "Wa Daiko" means "Japanese drum(s)" and it is considered as a martial art form that has started about 2600 years ago when Japan was colonized by Korea and today it is practiced and admired in many different countries from all over the world.
That is what Fushu Daiko does for more than 20 years now.
"Fushu" stands for "Florida state" ; so "Fushu Daiko" means "the drums from the Florida state".
Fushu Daikos very first name was "Florida state Nihon taiko hozon kyokai" , which means Florida State Japanese Taiko Drumming Preservation Society.
But Fushu Daiko is a very special and very different group of Japanese taiko drumming.
With a great variety of individuals from many nationalities and backgrounds , just like the people from the state of Florida are , Fushu Daiko was founded by a Japanese lady named Yoshiko Cane and an American gentleman named Charles Cane.
They both have met during their practice of Kabuki theatre with Sensei Mehori and some friends such as mr. David Pack , among other folks from the Japanese community of South Florida.
Yoshiko and Charles became friends very quickly and eventually felt in love with each other.
They did get married but they've never had children , but still their real most important project of their lives together was the creation of a great taiko drumming group in september of 1990 , which eventually became one of the top entertainment groups in the United States today.
Their very first student and performance group member was Kendall Covin , an African-American from South Florida with a tremendous warrior like spirit and a great musical talent.
Such warrior spirit was a very necessary element to be present among all group members , specially at the time when the group started to be trained by Grand Master Sensei Seiichi Tanaka from the San Francisco taiko dojo - Ca. , one of the first men to bring the art form of Japanese taiko drumming to America around the year of 1968.
The musical talent was also very necessary to be present as a learning tool when the group started to be trained by Grand Master Sensei Takemasa Ishikura from the Matsuriza taiko dojo in Orlando - Fl..
Fushu Daiko also had the privilege to be trained by Grand Master Sensei Etsuo Hongo from the L.A. taiko dojo - Ca. , which has conceived compositions of his own to be performed and recorded by the Fushu Daiko taiko group.
It was Bobi Courrier , a great friend of Yoshiko Cane that became in charge of all the group's uniforms , and she has made all of our taiko group's hapi coats and vests , as well as our wristbands and headbands.
At that point and time many wonderful new students had already started training taiko drumming with the Fushu Daiko group and they all have made great contributions to the development and growth of our beloved taiko group.
Those individuals were :
- Karl Sturman , an amazing German descent performer with a great endurance and stamina associated to a great power drumming style and great drumming skills ;
- Francie Garrett , a yoga instructor with a constant and contagious high life condition ; a great person that was adored by everyone in our group ;
- Juliana Sugano . until today one of the most graceful and beautiful female performer that our group has ever had ; she is still also the very best female drummer that our group has ever had , with very innovative drumming techniques and a great improvisational style during drum solos ;
- Edwin Yates , a very powerful and at the same time very technical taiko drumming performer ;
- Hideki Matsuda , a great taiko drumming performer and also a great teacher ;
- Yoshiko Carlton , not really a drummer by nature but eventually became the group's koto (a traditional harp from Japan) player ;
- Takeso Murasaki = a very cute and at the same time a very inspiring 9 year old performer that has given a great contribution to our group throughout the years that he has stayed with our group until he has completed 18 years of age and had to move away in order to attend to college far away from our taiko dojo area.
- Michele Videche = a beautiful female performer that played taiko with lots of grace and femininity ;
- Lucas Elkayem = an amazing percussionist / musician with really great skills and very special improvisational style of drumming added to a great spirit of real friendship and partnership without ego ;
- Yoshichika Yokoyama = a great taiko percussionist with great knowledge and skills and a self developed taiko drumming style ;
- Jorge Alfano = a great musician from Argentina that have great knowledge of almost all Asian melodic instruments such as the koto (a traditional Japanese harp) , shamisen (a traditional Japanese 3-string banjo) , the shaku hachi (a traditional Japanese bamboo flute) and also the fue and the shinobue (also traditional Japanese bamboo flutes
Those individuals and many others have contributed immensely to the development and growth of our beloved Fushu Daiko taiko group , but it was in 1997 that a new group member from Brazil , Fernando Moraes , was introduced to the Fushu Daiko group by Hideki Matsuda ; it was an event that would change the future of the that group of performers forever.
Fernando Moraes was born in Rio de Janeiro - Brazil and was raised in Sao Paulo - Brazil , today considered the third biggest city in the world and the city with the biggest Japanese community outside Japan , and Fernando Moraes has had the luck to be raised around a borough called "Liberdade" , which was considered as the Japanese sector of the city.
Fernando Moraes was a professional musician (percussionist) and a music producer with lots of experience and he was taken into the Fushu Daiko group by Yoshiko Cane and Charles Cane with great enthusiasm due to the fact that Fernando Moraes could make it possible for the group to be expanded and brought to a higher artistic and professional level by producing and recording their very own created material.
And so he did , Fushu Daiko had finally their own CD produced by Fernando Moraes and Sincronia USA in 1998 , not even 1 year after he has joined the group.
Not only from there on Fushu Daiko had a new music producer and percussionist but also a great friend and protector allied .
Yoshiko Cane and Charles Cane had real appreciation for having someone like Fernando Moraes in their taiko group , and they took him under their wings almost as the son that they've never had.
It was right before when Yoshiko Cane passed away that she has asked Fernando Moraes to take care of the Fushu Daiko's business affairs and support her husband Charles Cane for as long as it would be necessary.
Fernando Moraes has accepted the mission that was conceived to him and has made that request addressed to him by Yoshiko Cane from her own death bed and last moments of life , as his main objective in his own life until it's end.
But it was in 1999 that Charles Cane has officially transferred the Fushu Daiko taiko group and business to Fernando Moraes and Sincronia USA , inc. , his own company since 1996 , in a very simple and short ceremony at the Yoshiko's dojo in Dania beach - Fl..
Many group members were present at that ceremony and they've all witnessed the transferring of the Fushu Daiko company from it's own founder and creator , mr. Charles Cane , to the new group leader and president of the Fushu Daiko company , mr. Fernando Moraes.
Those group members that have participated in that meeting with enormous joy and sense of mission were : Hideki Matsuda , Francis Garrett , Gregory Williams , Karl Sturman , Kendall Covin , Ben Miller and many others.
All of those individuals took part of a great historical moment for the Fushu Daiko taiko group ; something that clearly has changed the course of that taiko group forever , bringing the Fushu Daiko to a much higher level , technically , artistically , professionally and musically.
Fernando Moraes and Sincronia USA have brought Fushu Daiko to amazingly huge arenas and gigantic crowds involving professional commitments of tremendous importance.
Fushu Daiko Members
Today, Fushu Daiko has an incredible group of extremely talented performers, entertainers and educators such as:
- Fernando Moraes; president, taiko instructor, taiko performer, artistic director, executive producer, music producer and video producer.
- Martin Rivera; Fushu Daiko - stage producer, taiko drum builder, taiko drummer, samurai armour designer and award winning film festival video director; FLORIDA N.K.S.R. KARATEDO - Florida chapter founder; Shodai Dojo - chief instructor; Hollywood, Florida Kyu Dojo - group couch; South Florida Kyudo Kai - president.
- Grecia Garrett; taiko performer, board of directors member, wardrobe maintenance.
- Gretchen Schmidt; taiko performer, board of directors member.
- Christina Cheng; taiko performer and artistic coordinator.
- Jorge Alfano; shaku hachi, koto, shinobue, shamisen, fue.
- Mami Onishi; calligrapher artist instructor and entertainer, origami artist instructor and entertainer, Kyudo (Japanese archery) practitioner and instructor.
- Kanna Huizer; shinobue, fue and taiko performer .
- Luna Adachi; shamisen performer and instructor.
- Julie; massage therapist and taiko performer.
- Delano; taiko performer.
- Claudio Ponce; taiko performer.
- Daniel Ponce; taiko performer.
- Luna (Penelope Gonzalez); scenic performer and taiko performer.
- Marco Cocchiaro; scenic performer and taiko performer.
- Master; Kendo instructor and Kendo performer .
and many new students from the whole southern region of the state of Florida, attending and training new students from the counties of Palm Beach, Broward and Dade.
Fernando Moraes has never banded his mission and his promise made to Yoshiko and Charles Cane of keeping developing and expanding their taiko group by bringing it to more and bigger crowds throughout many more years still to come with the constant and eternal support of Sincronia USA , Inc.
Past Performances
Here is a short list of some of those events that made it possible for the Fushu Daiko taiko group to be launched into a much higher and much bigger market:
Performing at the opening of the Miami Heat games in 2002 for worldwide televised N.B.A. events through E.S.P.N. for an estimated audience of at least 100,000,000 spectators per game, and nationwide televised N.B.A. events through T.N.T. , C.B.S. , N.B.C. , A.B.C. and Fox network to an estimated audience of at least 25,000,000 per game.
Participating at the Florida Renaissance Festival from 2002 through 2009, and 2012, performing for an estimated crowd of at least 180,000 people among all the festivals combined.
The opening of City Place in West Palm Beach, Fl.
The opening of the West Palm Beach Convention Center.
All the festivals promoted by the Morikami Museum and Gardens in West Palm Beach, Florida, since 1999 through today, for an estimated crowd of at least 200,000 people among all the festivals combined.
All Asian festivals in Homestead, FLorida, promoted by the Thai/American society since the year of 1999 until today, for an estimated crowd of at least 90,000 people among all festivals combined.
The 2003 televised Telemundo celebration at the Delano hotel in Miami Beach - Fl. for an estimated audience of at least 40,000,000 spectators.
The Univision morning show "Despierta America" , televised live to 14 countries.
The 2004 JVC Jazz Festival in Miami Beach - Fl. with Fernanda Porto, and opening for Wayne Shorter.
The Orange Bowl VIP parties at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Key Biscayne, Florida.
First anniversary of the Hard Rock Cafe Hotel and Casino in 2005.
The 2005 concert at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts with the show "Elemental."
The 2005 Mayor's Gala Ball party at the Broward Convention Center.
The 2005 celebration party for Microsoft at the Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
The 2006 Synergy Series concert at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts with the show "Japan meets Brazil."
The 2006 concert at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts with the show "On the Path."
The 2007 Synergy series concert at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts with the show "Japan meets Africa."
The 2007 concert at the Sunrise Civic Center with the show "Elemental."
The 2007 concert at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts with the show "Warrior Spirit."
The 2007 Brazil's tour and the making of Fushu Daiko's first DVD production.
The 2008 concert at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts with the show "Taiko Immigrants."
The 2008 Synergy Series concert at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts with the show "Japan meets South America."
The 2009 Synergy Series concert at the Bienes Center for the Arts with the show "Japan meets the Middle East."
The 2010 Ericsson Women's Tennis tournament finals in Key Biscayne, Florida.
Performances for martial arts academies and tournaments of all styles and categories, including Aikido , Judo , Karate , Kendo and Kung Fu.
Performances for schools of all kinds and levels and for students of all ages including performances in all kinds of ethnic festivals in many different states all over the United States such as Massachusetts, New York, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, California, Seattle, Pennsylvania, and many others.
Performances in other countries outside of the United States, such as Brazil, Germany, Bermudas, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and many others.
Among so many special presentations at so many special arenas , Fernando Moraes and Sincronia USA have achieved great goals by putting the Fushu Daiko taiko group to perform for top artists and musicians such as Herbie Hancock, Larry Coryel, Wayne Shorter, Nestor Torres, Buster Williams, Kenwood Dennard, George Tandy and many others.
Fernando Moraes and Sincronia USA also made it possible for the group to be able to endure through enormous financial crisis and kept the group alive throughout the years without allowing it's group members to suffer any kind of pressure due to financial difficulties and maintaining all of it's performers under a tranquil and stabilized environment in order to always promote a constantly protected realm where all performers could keep focused on their new artistic creations for future professional commitments.
After a very long time of very hard work (12 years) finally Fernando Moraes and Sincronia USA had achieved a great followup as a young taiko group , touching the lives of millions of people of all ages and from everywhere in the world.
