What is Taiko?

Taiko is a Japanese word for drum. There is a wide variety of shapes and sizes of Taiko. Ideally, the body is made of a single hollowed out tree trunk or if this isn't available, a large wooden barrel. The drumheads are traditionally made of cowhide. Taiko drums are handmade by professional drum makers in Japan. It is believed that the spirit of the builders of the drum and the people who played them over the years come to embody each drum.