Hibiki 2016 – Haere Mai Taiko Concert on October 30th, 2016 (Sunday)
![[cml_media_alt id='366']Haere Mai Taiko[/cml_media_alt]](https://nzjapan.net/wp-content/uploads/Haere-Mai-Taiko-photo.jpeg)
Photo by Albert Ng
Haere mai means welcome in te reo Māori, and mai means to dance in Japanese. Formed by the New Zealand Japan Society of Auckland (NZJS), Haere Mai first started as a Japanese dance group in 2002, then began studying taiko drumming in 2004.
In 2011, the team was introduced to two of Japan’s most celebrated taiko composers, Hisashi Kitahara and Michiko Nakamori from Matsuri Kobo (まつり工房), who have since became our teachers and mentors in the performance art of Japanese taiko.
In 2013 we held our first ‘Hibiki’ concert. Hibiki translates to reverberation. This was our first full-length solo concert.
In November 2015, six members from Haere Mai Taiko were invited to Ina city in Nagano, Japan to perform in Dodo-on sai (ドド御祭); a taiko concert that is organised by our teachers at Matsuri Kobo once every three years. This latest concert featured over 500 performers from over 60 taiko groups across Japan. Haere Mai Taiko is one of the few groups from outside of Japan to have ever performed in a Dodo-on sai concert, and it was a great honour to take part in such an incredible event.
Now, in 2016, we are busy performing regularly across the country, and are preparing for our second Hibiki concert, which will be held on the 30th of October, 2016.We are proud and honoured to bring this very special music to the people of New Zealand.
We are proud and honoured to bring this very special music to the people of New Zealand.
Our website: https://haeremaitaiko.nz/
Connect with us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/HaereMaiTaiko/