Happy Women’s History Month from Soh Daiko! As the month comes to an end, we are reflecting on the women who have had an impact on Soh Daiko over the past 40+ years. Two years ago we shared a video of a conversation with the three women who helped build Soh Daiko and our repertoire from the start: Merle Mieko Okada, Teddy Yoshikami, and Jennifer Wada. This year, we spoke with two inspiring former members who were active with Soh Daiko in the 1990’s and who continue playing taiko to this day: Kelly Kuwabara and Kathy Fuller.

Kathy Fuller was a member of Soh Daiko from 1995-2000; she has since gone on to co-form San Diego Taiko in California. Kelly Kuwabara was a member of Soh Daiko from 1996-2001; she currently plays with Hoh Daiko in New Jersey and serves on the board of the Taiko Community Alliance.

We discussed how taiko empowered them as women, the role of mentorship and community in their Soh Daiko experience, and more. Check out our highlights from that conversation in the below short video, as well as the original video from 2021 here!

Thank you Kathy and Kelly for taking the time to chat with us, and for all you’ve done for Soh Daiko and the taiko community!