SANTA MONICA—On Saturday, July 23 the Taiko Center of Los Angeles will be performing and hosting a workshop in Tongva Park for Family Saturday, according to a press release from the city of Santa Monica. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and is free and open to the public.

The Taiko Center performance will include their expert drummers and a lion dancer. The workshop is open to adults and children and will begin to teach them how to play the traditional Japanese instruments. The workshop will end with an interactive performance between the Taiko Center and the audience.

“This is the first time we’ve presented taiko in Tongva Park and the interactive element will be a fun and unique experience for attendees,” Allison Ostrovsky, Cultural Affairs Supervisor, told Canyon News in an email.

Taiko is one of Japan’s oldest musical styles and the Taiko Center of Los Angeles was founded by Reverend Shuichi Thomas Kurai in 1996, according to the Taiko Center’s website. The company is dedicated to preserve the ancient tradition of Japanese drumming and spreads the knowledge and awareness of Taiko tradition in Southern California.

The Taiko Center keeps a strong role in the community through workshops, performances, and year round classes that are taught by Reverend Kurai and staff. When the company was founded there was only a few participants, but it has now grown to over 100 active participants. They have been part of the soundtracks for the movies “The Thin Red Line” and “The Last Samurai” and have performed at the Hollywood Bowl and at the Staples Center.

Reverand Kurai will be present at the Tongva Parks performance, Ostrovsky told Canyon News.

Attendees of the Taiko performance can bring a picnic and are encouraged to invite family and friends. Tongva Park is located at 1615 Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. Another upcoming Family Saturday event is a “Family Dance Jam” on August 27, Ostrovsky told Canyon News. For more information on the events held at Tongva Park visit smgov.net/tongvapark/events.