In celebration of Women’s History Month, our current membership sat down with three very inspiring former members who shaped Soh Daiko from the beginning: Merle Mieko Okada, Teddy Yoshikami, and Jenny Wada.

Merle Mieko is one of Soh Daiko’s co-founders and served as our chairperson from 1979 to 2013. Teddy, a member of Soh Daiko from 1983 to 2013, acted as a principal choreographer, and Jenny, a member between 1983 and 2003, was a key composer of Soh Daiko’s repertoire.

We spoke about how taiko has inspired and empowered them as women, the role women have played in the development of taiko in North America, and more. Check out our highlights from that conversation in this short video.