Taiko means “big fat drum” and long ago in Japan, drums were beaten to boost the moral of armies and communicate between villages. Today taiko are played at festivals around the world. Some say the beat of the taiko drum echos the first thing we hear – our mother’s heartbeat.

St. Louis Osuwa Taiko energized festival crowds in the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden, Springfield, MO at the 2009 Japanese Fall Festival with dramatic performances of Japanese drumming and creative choreography. Video by Russ RuBert.

Find more about the St. Louis Osuwa Taiko on their website which lists upcoming performances, classes, and a contact form to request a performance.

The annual Japanese Fall Festival is sponsored by the not-for-profit Springfield Sister Cities Association and the Springfield-Greene County Parkboard.

See the full 2011 Japanese Fall Schedule here.

George, Ben, Brock & Sam of Supercharge were recently awarded the Youth 4 Youth Service Award for 2010 after their performance at the 2nd Annual Springfield Sleepout event at MSU Plaster Stadium to raise community awareness and funds to address Youth Homelessness during National Homeless Youth Awareness Month. You can see the photos of the event and more on their Facebook photos page.

Did you miss the Supercharge McSalty’s concert on the 8th? The band had a packed house rocking to music and pizza at their November 8th fundraiser as they prepare to take their act international to attend the 2011 Isesaki, Japan Festival in August. The group of 12-14-year old boys: Ben Grosser, singer and bassist; Sam Holmes and George Timson, guitarists; and Brock Cantrell, drummer, have been chosen to perform there as cultural ambassadors for Springfield.

If you didn’t make the concert, you can hear Supercharge perform sing “Lump” by The Presidents of the United States of America on the superchargegigs YouTube channel. And another concert is coming up soon — First Night Supercharge will perform again soon on New Year’s eve at Canvas 210, 315 South Avenue for the Springfield First Night celebration.  

In August, Kellswater will travel to Isesaki, Japan to represent Springfield at the Isesaki City Summer Festival (Isesaki Matsuri).

Join us for the benefit concert performance at Lindberg’s on Commercial Street. All donations are tax deductible, and will go to offset the cost of travel to Isesaki for this and future festival performing delegations.

Lindberg’s is located on

Springfield’s historic C-Street district at 318 W. Commercial.

Please join us on Thursday, July 15th at 6:00.

This is a non-smoking facility.

Paco Padilla, John Price, and Bob Jones perform “Dona Mariquita” also known as “Eleanor Rigby” at the Springfield Sister Cities 2010 Annual Meeting. The SSCA annual meeting is a wonderful celebration held annually for SSCA members and friends.

Bob Jones had recently returned from an exchange in which his JRB Band visited Tlaquepaque and performed for audiences there.

If you missed the lady mariachis playing violins, trumpet and bass guitar as they marched down the center of ArtsFest on historic Walnut Street, you can watch the video here.

The musicians didn’t miss a beat as they walked and smiled at the crowd, picking up more and more followers as they progressed towards the main stage for their noon performance.

At ArtsFiesta! which was held this year at ArtsFest on Historic Walnut Street, musical performances by Mariachi Femenil Nuevo Tecalitlan were alternated with a variety of colorful dances by Springfield’s Grupo Latino.

As always, this organization couldn’t function without all the hard work and infectious energy of our volunteers!

Grupo Latino poses in their revolutionary costumes.

Here’s a short video clip from the event:

Since the performance was a total surprise to the group, “this video in just one continuous lucky take – and I didn’t know they were even going to play – They are truly fantastic musicians and performers!” said SSCA board member Russ RuBert.

Mariachi Femenil Nuevo Tecalitlan, our visiting all-female mariachi band for ArtsFiesta arrived in Springfield on Wednesday from Tlaquepaque, Mexico – via London. The world-traveling women are full of energy and immediately set about performing at venues throughout town.

On Thursday and Friday, the band performed at public schools including Boyd, Field, Weller, Bisset, Holland, and Willard Elementary schools. Also Drury and Missouri State Universities and the Boys and Girls Club.

They performed live on KY3 and taped ArtsFiesta! promotions for Ky3 and KSPR. Between all these events, the girls even had a chance to squeeze in a trip to Hammons Field for a Cardinals ballgame on Friday.

Thanks to all the host families and SSCA committees for coordinating performances and getting everyone to the right place at the right time.

Cross your fingers for good weather at ArtsFiesta! on Walnut Street tonight – it will be a grand performance!

An all-female Mariachi band, Mariachi Femenil Nuevo Tecalitlan, from Springfield’s sister city of Tlaquepaque, Mexico will be performing at ArtsFiesta! at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 1, 2010 at ArtsFest on Walnut Street.

Thursday, April 29 – the band will be performing for area public schools, Drury University, and the Boys and Girls Club.

Friday, April 30 – performances at area public schools and Missouri State University

Saturday, May 1, noon - performance at ArtsFest stage at Walnut and National

Saturday, May 1, 5 p.m. - ArtsFiesta! on the ArtsFiesta stage on Walnut Street