"It's a Tucson thing" has never been
more true than at the annual All Souls Procession. For the second
year, we mounted a taiko on the central Urn cart, and played for
the length of the procession. A few blisters are a small price to
pay for the spirit, creativity and sheer Tucson-ness of the event.
These pictures are by OS ART student Tracy Baynes. Read more about
the Procession at www.allsoulsprocession.org
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Participants assemble with costumes, banners, and festive
reverance: big head puppets, drummers, dancers and thousands
of community members from all walks of life gathered to express
grief and loss, and to rejoice in living through this celebration
of creative energy and life force. Above right: Members of
Flam Chen
usher the Urn out to the street.
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Central to the procession is the giant Urn.
It is constructed each year and pulled along the Procession,
collecting the blessings, dreams, wishes and hopes for those
who have passed. The culmination of the procession occurs
at the Grand Finale Stage where the Urn is set aflame. In
2006, Odaiko Sonora began placing a taiko on the cart and
accompanying the Urn on its journey.
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This year, Karen had to ride
on the cart to keep the jiuchi, or back beat, for the songs.
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Sonya figures out how to play the taiko without hitting
the Urn or its rigging.
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Nancy, Gail, Rebecca, Damien and Robert D. also processed.
Tracy was there also, of course, behind the camera.
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