Rai Tateishi

Rai Tateishi / Shinobue, Percussion Shinobue and noh flute player and Japanese taiko drum performer Rai Tateishi was born in Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. From an early age, he was an enthusiastic player of both Western and Japanese drums. In 2011, he joined the internationally acclaimed Japanese drumming group Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble and specialized in shinobue Japanese bamboo flute under Kodo’s distinguished master player Motofumi Yamaguchi. As a Kodo member, he toured widely overseas, participated in the renowned Earth Celebration International Arts Festival on Sado Island and collaborated with celebrated kabuki actor and Kodo artistic director Tamasaburo Bando. In 2015, he became independent and founded his own hogaku (Japanese music) group Azuma. Since then, he has been experimenting with combining cross-cultural music styles and ensembles which seek to reinvent the traditional sounds of Japan. As director of Blue Green Festival and YAMAJAM, he has created an engaging community where traditional music is celebrated in a contemporary setting. He has performed in Japan, the US, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Argentina, Paraguay, Cuba and Tunisia, and has been leading shinobue and drumming workshops in many places including the Los Angeles Taiko Institute. In 2020, he opened the Lion-Kai Shinobue Online School.  www.rai-tateishi.com