“BLUE TOKYO” Has Arrived!
Aug. 19, 2014
Today, Earth Celebration 2014 “Shiroyama Concert” guest artist BLUE TOKYO and Mr Hasegawa from DAZZLE arrived on Sado Island and came to Kodo Village.
And we got straight into rehearsals with them! It is going to be such a powerful performance.
The Kodo members are putting their hearts right into it, too!
Today it was BLUE TOKYO member Satoshi Ishizuka’s birthday! We wished him a very happy birthday!
“‘Yamazu Megurumo’ Concerts” by Yoko Fujimoto
All the Kodo members are working very hard, preparing for Earth Celebration. So am I! I’m in the middle of rehearsals for the opening night performance!
But, I would like to take a moment now to let you all know about my upcoming activities.
“Yamazu Megurumo” Concerts
I am going to perform with local bluegrass musicians on Sado Island for the first time.
Their amazing sound and technique will create a new world for all the pieces on my CD “Yamazu Megurumo.” As the vocals entwine with their music, the songs will take on different colors and expressions. I will also add some other folksongs to the set list and I am going to have a really good time with their music!
Also, this will be the first time for me to have a chorus accompaniment at one of my concerts. I am planning a fun performance for you all, with lots of “firsts” and things I like, so please come along!
Yoko Fujimoto “Yamazu Megurumo” Concerts
Sep. 20 (Sat), 2014 Hotel Azuma, Aikawa, Sado Island, Niigata
Sep. 23 (Tue), 2014 Cafe Hitoha, Sawata, Sado Island, Niigata
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20140920yoko_en.html
Kodo Online Store [CD] Yoko Fujimoto “Yamazu Megurumo”
“Inaba Wadaiko no Saiten” by Yoshikazu Fujimoto
Appearance at “Inaba Wadaiko no Saiten”
On August 10, Motofumi and I performed at “Inaba Wadaiko no Saiten” at Tottori Civic Hall. A typhoon had just passed by, but fortunately there wasn’t much rain and wind so the event went ahead as planned.
We took part as guest artists alongside nine taiko groups from Eastern Tottori and one taiko group from Osaka.
The performance ended with a fun collaboration where all the performers sang and played a famous Japanese song, “Furusato,” and a local folk song,”Kinanse-bushi” together. This was accompanied by one of Tottori’s traditional performing arts, “Kasa Odori,” an umbrella dance, which made for an exciting finale.
The audience was smaller than expected due to the typhoon, but performances were really amazing. I saw the first-half of the event from a seat in the audience and I felt a great connection between the audience and the stage. What’s more, it reminded me that it is not just taiko technique that moves people, but that simplicity is also key.
I would like to send a round of applause to all the performers and staff at “Inaba Wasaiko no Saiten.” Thank you for giving us the chance to appear at your event as guest artists.
The day before the event, I led a taiko and shinobue (bamboo flute) workshop. I was happy to receive this gift: my very own Kasa Odori,/span> umbrella. We took a commemorative photograph with Mr. Murakami, the director of the hall (left) and Mr. Misawa (2nd person from the right) from Oshu Taiko.
Yoshikazu Fujimoto, Motofumi Yamaguchi Guest Appearance at “Inaba Wadaiko no Saiten”
http://www.kodo.or.en/news/20140810inaba_en.html
“Prayer for Safety at Kisaki Shrine” by EC Publicity
Earth Celebration is coming up this weekend. Today, all of the performers and staff gathered at Kisaki Shrine to pray together for a safe festival.
We wish you all a safe journey to join us here on Sado Island, too!
We really hope that everyone who gathers for Earth Celebration will have a wonderful time with us.
“The Fukaura Schoolhouse” by Johnny Wales
Fukaura Gakusha – The Fukaura Schoolhouse
by Johnny Wales
Welcome to Fukaura Gakusha (Fukaura Schoolhouse)
Not far from Kodo Village and perched high on the same ridge on Sado’s southern-most coast is the Fukaura Schoolhouse. This is where the first generation of Kodo members’ own children went to elementary and middle school, so it holds a special place in our hearts. Sadly, three years ago – as in so many other places in the Japanese countryside – it closed due to lack of young people to fill up its desks. Just a 15-minute walk down the road from the Sado Island Taiko Centre, a 15-minute drive from the port of Ogi, and 20 minutes to Sado’s largest sandy beach, this nostalgic wooden school in a grassy field is setting out on its second life. It will serve as a base for people coming to breath the air and experience first-hand what has made this magical island such a source of inspiration to us these forty years. Kodo’s dream has long been to not only bring the sights and sounds of Japan to the world but also to bring the world to Sado. We also want to do our part in giving back to the people of the island. Our busy lives here and on tour have meant that we haven’t been able to open Kodo Village to visitors except on special occasions. For those wanting to experience taiko here on the island the Sado Taiko Centre was built next to Kodo Village in 2007. There are no facilities for staying over though, so people were on their own when looking for a convenient place to stay. They say ‘When one door closes, another opens’, and so it is with the old Fukaura Schoolhouse. With the installation of modern bathrooms and conversion of some of the classrooms into dormitories with either tatami mats or bunk beds, we now have comfortable, if simple accommodations at a reasonable price for groups of up to 40 people, and it’s right down the road. Three meals a day are available featuring delicious home-made, seasonal, locally-sourced cuisine. A vegetarian or special dietary plan can also be arranged.
Inside Fukaura Gakusha (Fukaura Schoolhouse)
So if your group wants to experience the best of rural Japan – and while you are at it, drum your hearts out – here is the place to do it. Whether you are an experienced taiko group, have never even seen a Japanese drum and want to use a workshop as a team-building exercise, or you have a group of both veterans and beginners, one of Kodo’s veteran players can tailor a workshop to meet your needs.
A Visit from Mr. & Mrs. Ichizawa of Kyoto Ichizawa Shinzaburo Hanpu
Mr. and Mrs. Ichizawa of Kyoto Ichizawa Shinzaburo Hanpu, the makers of some special Kodo and EC merchandise, visited Kodo Village. They currently have a stall at a department store fair in Niigata, so they came a little way further to Sado to see us.
They have been working with Kodo for almost 20 years, but this was their very first visit to Sado Island. They were pleased to hear a sound of higurashi, an evening cicada, which can hardly be heard in Kyoto anymore.
We have some close friends in common with them, so they had a good catch up with Takao Aoki, the president of Kitamaesen Co., Ltd.
Ichizawa Shizaburo Hanpu: http://www.ichizawa.co.jp/en/
“Kodo x Shinzaburo Hanpu Collaboration Bag”
http://kodo.or.jp/blog_en/kodo-online-store/20131221_44.html
Kodo Distinguished Members to Take the Stage Together at EC!
On Aug. 12, there was a rehearsal for the Shiroyama Concert on the opening night of Earth Celebration, “UMI / OCEAN.” All the Kodo Distinguished Members will join the cast for the performance, too. Did somebody say something about a surprise piece…?!
The cast for “UMI / OCEAN” is all 32 Kodo performers, ranging from the Distinguished Members through to the junior members. It will be the first time for this cast to perform ALL together. Please join us!
Right into Rehearsals for EC Theatre “Kodo Dai Ginjo: Seasoned Quintet”!
“Kodo Dai Ginjo: Seasoned Quintet,” a new programme that will take the stage at EC Theatre, has started to take shape, little by a little.
Here you can see the performers sitting face-to-face in a circle as they create a new piece to debut at EC Theatre on Aug. 24.
Yoshie Abe will return to the stage to join the cast of male power-hitters & veterans for this performance. The sounds of taiko, shamisen, and shinobue (bamboo flute) will entwine and fill the hall with an array of sounds.
They have prepared some unique stage props for this performance, too, so please come along and see!
We really hope to see you there!
EC Theatre | Kodo Dai Ginjo “Seasoned Quintet” http://www.kodo.or.jp/ec/en/eventinfo/ectheatre/
“Rehearsals for EC ‘Shukusai / Celebration’ Today” by Kenta Nakagome
Aug. 11, 2014
Today we had rehearsals for the concert on the third day of Earth Celebration, “Shukusai / Celebration.”
We’re on a drumming rampage, making some serious noise! Please look forward to it!
Yoshie Abe to Appear in EC Theatre & Special Fringe Performances
Yoshie Abe to Appear in EC Theatre & Special Fringe Performances
Yoshie Abe (née Sunahata) is working as a Kodo staff member while raising her daughter, but on Day 3 of Earth Celebration 2014 she will return to the stage to sing in EC Theatre’s “Kodo Dai Ginjo: Seasoned Quintet” and in Special Fringe event “Yoi no Yunzuru.” We look forward to presenting her beautiful voice in these feel-good programmes. If you’re one of Yoshie’s fans, don’t miss your chance to see her perform again live!
Message from Yoshie Abe
Hello, everyone! Long time, no see!
I am really looking forward to the opportunity to perform at EC Theatre in “Kodo Dai Ginjo: Seasoned Quintet”!
The songs I will sing are still a secret, but I can tell you that I will be playing an upright harp for the first time. The artistic direction by Yuichiro Funabashi is taking a somewhat refined path, but it is couple with unique ideas and will create a truly unique atmosphere.
Without a doubt, it’s going to be an interesting performance! By all means, please come and share this special time with us.
EC Theatre | Kodo Dai Ginjo “Seasoned Quintet” http://www.kodo.or.jp/ec/en/eventinfo/ectheatre/