In the Winter of 2025, Shangö Mountain Taiko has been hived off into it’s own dedicated web site.
Shangö Percussion, for the love of the Drum
Welcome to Shangö Percussion and Shangö Mountain Taiko. This is the current evolution of an always-in-progress web site, paint’s still wet on some of the pages! We’ll be adding information and content over time. Feel fee to explore, find about about drumming, our Sessions and Classes check out the Recordings, Videos, and Drummer’s Resources. Since we’re an amateur not-for-profit, we build this site in our Member’s (Mostly Kurt‘s) Free time. Our latest aspirational insanity, rising from the debris of the Covid-19 Disaster, is starting a Community Taiko Group. No one said we were the sanest people on earth, but drum people are that kind of crazy.
So stay tuned, vist from time to time and see what’s new! If you're in the Berkeley Springs, Shenandoah Valley area, come check us out! We hope to see you at a Training Session, Workshop, Performance Event, or in a circle sometime!
But we can tell you that we love the drum and we love drumming! We hope you do too! Ashé Ashé!
Shangö Mountain Taiko
Bringing the Heartbeat of Japanese Taiko to the Mountains of Appalachia.
Shango Mountain Taiko debuted at Morgan Arts Council’s Sakura Matsuri Japanese Spring Festival on Saturday, April 29th. We have since gone on to perform at Bringing in the May Farie Festival, The World Association of show Marching Bands in Buckhannon WV, and are continuting to train and study Taiko!
We have done something audacious and a little crazy – launching one of the very few (to our knowledge) rural/small town community taiko groups in America! We hope you'll come play with us and expereince Taiko!
We are accepting new trainees! We’re always looking for people who are interesed in learning Taiko and perhaps joining the Shangö Mountain Taiko Team - no experience required!!! - just enthusiasim and willingness to practice and study - and sweat a little! So please come out to a training date, workshop, or catch us at an event and and cheer us on. We’ll take your information, or sign up for our Mail List using the Signup Form. It'll be the best workout you'll ever love.
Training Sessions
Usually 6:30-8:00 PM, 2nd & 4th Tuesdays
Black Cat Music Cooperative
155 Independence Street, Corner of Independence & Mercer
Berkeley Springs, WV 25411
See our Training Calendar on the new Shangö Mountain Taiko Website for full schedule
All are welcome to come train with us! - Just show up! - RSVP requested.
SMT performing at Bringinging in the May 2023.
2025 Upcoming Events
Introduction To Taiko “BOOM” Camp
Saturday, March 8, 2024, 12:00-3:00PM
The Ice House, Community Room, 2nd Floor*
138 Independence Street, Corner of Independence & Mercer
Berkeley Springs, WV 25411
It’s a Taiko “BOOM” Camp! Come experience Big Drums, Big Beats, and shouting in Japanese. All Ages and Skill Levels are Welcome! No Experience Required!
Free Open Workshop | Donations Accepted!
Click Here to Find Out More
Taiko Performance
NEW DATE! Love-A-Palooza Regional Talent Show & Benefit
Saturday, April 5, 7:00 PM
The Historic Starr Theater
Berkely Springs, WV
Click for Full Training Calendar
Find out more about Japanese Taiko Drumming and Shangö Mountain Taiko – Click here!
Please contact Kurt, or join our Email List if interested in participating.
Learn Japanese Taiko Drumming
Learn about Taiko Drumming! Get a dose of some BIG beats, with Big Drums, Big Sticks, and yelling in Japanese! Shango Mointain Taiko periodically offers Introductory Taiko Workshops in Berkeley Springs and the surrounding region for interested players — No Experience Necessary! All you need is a desire to learn and willingness to sweat a little! Find out more here!
Stay tuned, or drop us an email, or join our Email List for more information or to get a head's up! Don Don Doko DON!.
About Shangö Percussion
Shangö Percussion was founded as an amateur, inter-cultural group of drummers based in Berkeley Springs, VW, who pursue the serenity and life-affirming energy of the Drum. We studied and performed Traditional African, Middle Eastern, and Worldbeat Rhythms and conjured some of our own original compositions. Our Members made a commitment to learn and study these traditions, explore the potential of the Drum, and integrate rhythm into our lives and community. We also had a lot of fun!
Like all websites, this is a work in progress, and constantly evloving. This page was first conceived as a repository for Shangö documents and recordings, over time we've been gradually adding content.
Please feel free to explore some audio recordings of our rhythms, study documents, drumming videos, and peruse information about our practice sessions and classes.
The Original Shangö Percussion World Percussion group wound down during the COVID lockdowns, and Founder Bob Marggaf has since retired from acive participation. Kurt Griffith continued to teach, and since has launched our rather aspirational project, Shangö Mountain Taiko in the Spring of 2023. The site probably seriously needs a major reorganization and redesign to accomodate Shangö Mountain Taiko and the legacy Shangö Percussion content.
Did we mention “work in progress?” Imagine that...
Ashé!
In Memory of Original Shangö Member Gale Foulds:
One of the original Shango Percussion Founding Members, Gale Foulds, passed away in the Spring of 2023. She derived great joy from the drum, and her vists to Africa. She recently bequeathed her djembe to the Shenandoah Valley drumming community, so it should continue to sing the hearbeat. She was a true daughter of Shangö, a friend, and she was a gift to this world who will be missed.
Forever remembered, forever cherished.
Ashé
Why Shangö?
Who is Shangö
Shangö (also spelled, Shangó, Changó, Ṣango, or Xango) is one of the most popular orishas in Santeria and is the king of the Santeria religion on earth. He is derived from the Yoruba religion of West Africa. Chango is the orisha of drumming, dancing, thunder, fire, male virility, and leadership. He was once a living king on earth as the fourth Alafin of Oyó in Yoruba land. He is known for enjoying in revelry, drinking, eating, having many female lovers and being a skillful dancer and drummer. He wields the double headed axe, the Oshe, as his favorite weapon. Chango teaches us to live a full life, enjoying all it has to offer, while at the same time cultivating diplomacy and royal grace.
Shangö is a great warrior, the Orisha of justice, the dance, the virile force, the thunderclaps, the rays and the fire, owner of the drums Wemileres, Ilú Batá or Bembés, of the dance and music; he represents the necessity and the joy to live, the intensity of the life, the masculine beauty, the passion, intelligence and the wealth.
Shangö appeals to and is celebrated by drummers due to his association with thunder, lightning, music, dance and the Drum. His symbol, the Oshe the double headed axe, is part of his headress in our logo.
Learn More about Shangö:
Santareia Church of the Orishas - Changó
Cuban Yoruba – Shango
Main Page for the Shangö Mountain Taiko Project
Visit Shangö Mountain TaikoAudio files for various Shangö projects.
Visit RecordingsDrum Pattens, Lyrics, and Documents for various Shangö projects.
Visit DocumentsUpdated! – Instruction, Demos, Inspirational Videos, Awesome Drummers and Drum Performances, including our own YouTube Videos!
Explore VideosUpdated! – Information about our practice sessions and Drumming Classes.
Visit Sessions & ClassesA page devoted to Japanese Taiko drumming.
Visit The Taiko PageNEW! A page of interesting and useful links for Drumming resources online. Updated when we find cool things. Visit often.
Visit ResourcesIf you can walk, you can dance.
If you can talk, you can sing.
If you have a heartbeat, you can drum.
– Babatunde Olatunji
COVID GUIDANCE
The safety of our drum community is always our first priority. We still recommend to please take all appropriate health precautions and practice good hygiene and steps to prevent illness. If you’ve tested positive, feeling unwell, or need to isolate, no problem! It's absolutely okay to say home and miss a session. We certainly understand, and we do want to protect each other. Recover, get healthy, and we’ll see you next time! Drum safe!
Ashé! Arigato gozaimasu!
Kurt Griffith
Shango Percussion