Taiko Japanese drumming artist coming up on 2,000 sunrise hikes up Piestewa Peak

PHOENIX — A Taiko Japanese drumming artist is coming up on his 2,000th hike up Piestewa Peak for sunrise this Friday.

Ken Koshio started hiking up the mountain with his flutes and drums on March 23, 2020, and has been doing so ever since.

“I used to climb up Camelback (Mountain) in 2011 every single morning also and just restarted,” Koshio told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce and Gaydos on Monday. “Also Lori Piestewa, the name from this mountain, her memorial day is March 23 (in) 2003, so that day is kind of my starting point.”

Koshio, who was born in Japan, played Taiko for the first time in Phoenix and realized the tradition was in his DNA.

Why does drumming artist ascend the mountain?

Koshio said the purpose of the hikes is to perform a prayer for peace using his instruments.

Koshio starts his prayer with a bell and then plays his instruments to create an orchestra with the sounds of nature.

Currently, the drummer needs to start his hike up Piestewa Peak around 4:30 a.m. in order to get to the top in time for the sunrise at 6:07 a.m.

Koshio noted that if it is raining he will perform the ceremony at the base of the mountain instead of hiking to the top.

The drummer faces east when doing the prayer, overlooking the park. He said that from his perspective most people enjoy his playing.

Koshio has received some backlash on social media, the Phoenix New Times reported, but he said that he has never experienced any “big trouble.”

“Since I’ve got this news, I started playing a little quieter,” Koshio said.

The drummer partners with Native American artists to combine his music with theirs.

Koshio also hosts music classes and visits Valley schools to share Japanese culture with the students.

His mission is to make the earth a better place using the healing power of ancient sounds and music.

Arizonans don’t need to climb a mountain to see Koshio play, as he is performing at the Desert Botanical Garden on Saturday during its Flashlight Nights.

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