Make Music Madison

Wisconsin Eisa

Wisconsin Eisa is a community organization in Madison, Wisconsin who performs eisa, Okinawan festival drumming. Eisa fuses Okinawan music, martial arts, dance, and drumming. The performers either play a large, barrel shaped drum (odaiko) which is worn by a sash over the shoulder, or a hand drum. The paranku, one of the hand drums, is small, round, and single faced. The shime-daiko is a two-faced hand drum tied together with rope, and is performed the most stylistically.