What was taiko drumming like before the 1980’s revival?

by RoadBikeDalek

Sub-questions:

  • What was the role, historically, of taiko?
  • Was taiko playing a communal activity or would there be professional taiko performers?
  • Did it involve some of the acting and performance elements that come with modern taiko?
  • Do we have any record of what the compositions were like?
  • Are there any traditions that can be traced back far into history, like customs, rhythms or phrases?
RoadBikeDalek

For the lone internet traveler who comes across this post, I found this excellent academic writeup on the history of modern taiko:

Taiko Boom by Shawn Bender (Goodreads link)