Just a few steps into Taiko Dan's dojo stands a Goliath-like wooden drum looming overhead. The drum is 780 pounds and rests on a 860-pound stand, standing nine feet tall altogether, according to the dojo's owner and founder, Tiffany Tamaribuchi. Despite its intimidating proportions, the drum is beautiful, with a glossy finish and a large black and white skin stretched over it.

Dojo is another word for a school of training in Japanese; in this case, the Sacramento Taiko Dan performing ensemble uses its dojo to teach the ancient art of Japanese Taiko drumming. Behind the large drum inside the dojo are smaller drums stacked on wooden shelves, and the dojo's walls are lined with even more drums on stands; yet a newcomer's gaze returns to the intimidatingly large drum near the entryway.

It is an odaiko drum — meaning "large drum" in Japanese — Tamaribuchi said. It is made out of bubinga wood from Cameroon in West Africa and initially took anywhere from 60 to 100 people to transport. According to Tamaribuchi, it is currently the largest odaiko drum in North America.

Standing not much more than five feet tall herself, Tamaribuchi specializes in playing the odaiko. Watching her play the drum is mesmerizing. Each strike to the drum is driven with intense power and precision and reverberates with a thundering pulse.

Traditionally, women did not get powerful drumming or intense percussive roles, she explained. But Tamaribuchi was breaking conventions from the moment she decided to begin Sacramento's first Taiko drumming group at age 22 in 1989, after training under the grand master of the San Francisco Taiko dojo. "It was pretty challenging ... because of my age, initially I had a lot of difficulty trying to get anybody to take me seriously," she said. It was six to eight months of trying unsuccessfully before the minister of the Sacramento Japanese United Methodist Church finally offered a temporary practice space for the group at the church.

Although Taiko Dan will celebrate 20 years of success with an anniversary concert at the Sacramento Community Center theater Saturday, Tamaribuchi said the group is facing yet another challenge, where it must ask what the next 20 years are going to look like. "Things are going to have to change, or we're not going to make it," Tamaribuchi said.

The dojo offers workshops, classes and a youth program. Its costs are usually offset by performances and class fees. It also receives grants from the California Arts Council and the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts commission, but Tamaribuchi has been told to expect anywhere from a 30 to a 70 percent cut in funding. Tickets to the anniversary concert, held by Taiko Dan every five years, usually sell out. As of Thursday, Tamaribuchi said barely half of this year's tickets are sold.

Over its 20-year existence, Taiko Dan has had as many as 120 active members to as few as two or three. "It's really phenomenal," Tamaribuchi said, reflecting on Taiko Dan's expansion. "The first practice we had three people, the second there were 12, and by the third practice we had 40."

Most recently, she said the group has stabilized to 40 or so students, with 14 people in the performing ensemble and six touring members. Many of Taiko Dan's members work full-time jobs, volunteering their spare time to help teach and perform. Tamaribuchi estimates that 30 of the 80 or so instruments in the dojo are drums that have been handmade by members.

Taiko Dan is predominantly female, with only about five male students. This is unintentional — Tamaribuchi said her strong role as a female performer has drawn a lot of women to join. "It's a very accessible and empowering art form for women," she said.

Performing at weddings and public festivals as well as private events, the group averages 50 to 60 performances a year, down from a high of 80 performances.

Taiko Dan will rent a 24-foot truck to bring the odaiko to Saturday's anniversary performance.

The concert is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, featuring guest artists from Japan.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the community center box office, at participating venues or online at tickets.com.

For more information about the concert or Taiko Dan, visit sactaiko.org.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Mendick