Photo by Kim Nguyen
TaikoMix
Japanese taiko drumming
TaikoMix was founded in 2005 in response to a need for greater representation of Asian and Asian American traditional and cultural arts in the Inland Empire, including Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
Graduating members of the UC Riverside collegiate taiko ensemble, including co-founders Jeannette Maniago and Terry Nguyen, envisioned creating a community taiko ensemble that would bring the art and tradition of taiko to the Inland Empire. Inspired by their experience at the North American Taiko Conference, they established TaikoMix to provide opportunities for the community to experience, learn, and celebrate taiko.
TaikoMix’s core members were students of Rev. Tom Kurai, whose teachings and influence helped shape the group’s foundation and connection to the broader taiko community.
Headquartered in Riverside, California, TaikoMix incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2008 and continues to share taiko through performance, education, and community engagement.
Living Cultures
2026
Riverside Taiko Heritage: Rev. Tom Kurai’s Legacy + TaikoMix
TaikoMix will develop a digital archive of Taiko Center of Los Angeles repertoire, historically transmitted through kuchi-shoga and embodied practice. Through video documentation and oral histories, the project documents compositions, choreography, and contextual knowledge, supporting the continued transmission of a lineage passed from Rev. Tom Kurai to his Riverside students.
