Drum Boyz was founded in January of 2016 under the mentorship of Uzume Taiko. The Vancouver-based trio, consisting of Grady Hunter, Jordy Riley and Masa Endo, met in 1995 while being performing members of Chibi Taiko, Canada’s first youth taiko ensemble under the direction of Shinobu Homma. The members pride themselves on their individuality, with all members being of mixed ethnicity and having unique experiences in western drumming, acting, singing and working with youth.
Having over 40 years of combined taiko experience, Drum Boyz strives to entertain audiences with traditional, progressive and comedic arrangements and bring taiko to a new audience. Drum Boyz made their public debut at the highly competitive 2016 Nikkei Matsuri Talent Show, where they performed an original composition and was awarded with first prize. The judges praised them for their drumming ability, use of humor, storytelling, costume choice and uniqueness from other taiko performances.
Group members:
Grady Hunter
Jordy Riley
Masa Endo
General Contact info: taikodrumboyz@gmail.com