TAMPA, Fla. — A group of Tampa Bay musicians is celebrating the Lunar New Year this week with a performance that has audience members dancing to the beat of their own drum.
Ron Collins has been leading Tampa Taiko for the past 15 years.
“So, Tampa Taiko is a community-based ensemble here in the Tampa Bay area, we play senior centers, schools, libraries,” said Collins.
However, this group of talented percussionists said their favorite event is their annual concert at Tampa Theatre, celebrating the start of the Lunar New Year.
“It’s not just a one-day holiday it happens for two or three or four weeks, different countries have been celebrating this for hundreds and hundreds of years, they all have their own traditions,” said Collins. “They call it Chinese New Year because there are a billion and a half Chinese that call it that.”
Hundreds of students from Tampa Bay elementary schools were in attendance.
“So we focus a lot on understanding each other’s culture, so we were kind of excited because we celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate all different types of cultures through the year so far, so we get to experience something that we are typically not experiencing,” said teacher Yvette Avende.
It may be the year of the snake, but during this performance, the dragon steals the show.
“To see the reaction to the kids, to see the joy on them, some of these kids may not have had this experience before, so this will be something unique for them. And maybe this will start a lifelong love of music,” said Paul Kurtz with Tampa Taiko.
Every drum you see on stage is handmade by members of Tampa Taiko. Many of them have been performing together since the beginning. For Matt Collins, you could say he was born into it.
“It is kind of my favorite thing to do. I would do this with anybody, but honestly, it’s an honor to really be behind my dad doing it the entire time,” said Matt.
Tampa Taiko will also be performing at The New Tampa Performing Arts Center on Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
"I’ve gotten exhausted from FEMA. We’re 62 and 72 years old, and we’re on Social Security/Disability. What the hell does this country want from us?”
John King shared with ABC Action News the flooding in his Zephyrhills community - more than 3 months after Hurricane Milton.
