Born: December 12, 1981 in San Francisco, California
Official Website：http://www.isakukageyama.com
Amanojaku：http://amanojaku.info

Playing Background
Isaku Kageyama is one of the bright young stars of premiere drum ensemble Amanojaku.Introduced to the traditional Japanese art form at the age of 6, Isaku is an expert at playing the Odaiko (large drum), and is a two-time National Odaiko Champion, winning highest honors at both the Mt. Fuji Taiko Festival in 2000, and the Hokkaido Taiko Championship in 2003.

His recent projects include live performances as a member of the rock-jazz-taiko ensemble Hybrid Soul, as well as collaborations with African percussionist Winchester Nii Tete. In search of new challenges, Isaku hopes to project his limitless creative energy towards the creation of a new chapter in the history of modern art through collaborations with other artists in genres such as dance, calligraphy, fashion, visual design, and both Japanese and non-Japanese instrumentation.

Instructional Background
Isaku has traveled across the globe, teaching American and Brazilian youth groups not only how to play the drums, but also about Japanese culture, etiquette, and universal values such as discipline, hard work, and identity.

Since 2004, Isaku has traveled to Brazil 5 times, teaching over 500 Brazilians in their teens and 20s. His work in Brazil was instrumental to success of a 1200-person performance celebrating the 100th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Brazil, held in Sao Paulo in 2008. The performance was attended an audience of 37,000 - including Crown Price Naruhito.

Amanojaku
Taiko is the soul beat of Japan. For every Japanese, taiko means the village shrine festival, the celebration of a good harvest or fishing catch, the primordial rhythm of folk songs.

Amanojaku takes that proud legacy and lands it right on the concert stage of modern art. Amanojaku breathes the funk of Tokyo's cityscape, the multi-layered vibrations of the present and faraway sounds like swing and samba - all integrated with the Japaneseness of taiko. Amanojaku is also about physical and spiritual discipline. Choreography that accentuates the tune's narrative is a key driving force for the unfolding musical tales.

As one of the world’s most respected taiko ensembles, Amanojaku has toured more than 40 nations, including Thailand ('06), the United States ('05) and Brazil ('04). Amanojaku has performed at the prestigious Japanese National Theatre four times.

	About Amanojaku（PDF：524KB）

	Amanojaku DVD Trailer（77.6MB）