By Cole Parkinson Taber Times


M


aking their comeback to Cornfest 2019 is Lethbridge-based taiko drum group HIBIKIYA.


HIBIKIYA, Japanese for “Echo Place",


debuted at the 2017 edition of the event and the group is excited to be returning to Taber to showcase their drumming abili- ties. “It’s Japanese taiko drumming. I had the privilege of going there about 17 years ago for the first time and learning,being part of Japan’s festival season and learning their culture and the drumming. I’ve been back 13 times since to learn more and bring it back here to southern Alberta,” said Bryan Pereverseff, music director of HIBIKIYA. From Pereverseff’s trip to Japan, his love of taiko drumming grew. Upon his return, the desire to start a drum group in southern Alberta grew and in 2007 a group under the Community


Taiko Association was formed. “It was a sister-city exchange, a short-


term exchange that I went on and that was part of my itinerary. I grew to like it and then we had an opportunity here to get a government grant with the former mayor and Harold Pereverseff from the Lethbridge Twinning Society.We got a couple of grants together and we were able to purchase the drums and that is when the inception happened for taiko in southern Alberta,”explained Pereverseff. Pereverseff also continues to take annual


trips to Lethbridge’s sister city of Towada, Japan where he is an honourary member of a Taiko group, Suijin Kamanari Daiko. From the original group, Pereverseff


went on to establish HIBIKIYA independ- ently under Southern Alberta Taiko Society in 2014, and there are presently ten mem- bers who belong to the group. “I brought it here and grew a group


before and then had the split.We spawned off another group and we were able to grow back up again.Right now, without counting the university, I think there is


three extracurricular groups that currently play in Lethbridge,”he said. Since 2014, the group has made its way


around the area and have continued to put on performances at different commu- nity events as well as schools. “I’ve played in Edmonton,we’ve played


in Calgary and we play Great Falls.How many concerts per year? I would say it varies but close to 30,”continued Pereverseff. Before hitting Taber for Cornfest, the


group is in Calgary on August 10 for the 9th Annual Omatsuri (traditional festival). From there they perform on the Cornfest Stage on Cornfest Friday (Aug. 23) at 1 p.m. “It was very nice for us to play two years ago there and we are glad to be invited back to play,”added Pereverseff. To keep up to date with HIBIKIYA, you


can follow them on Facebook @hibikiya- canada or Instagram @hibikiya.leth.


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