Tag ‘Collaboration’
“A Moving Trip of Firsts” by Issei Kohira
May 16, 2016
A Moving Trip of Firsts
Hello, everyone. I am Issei Kohira, a new Kodo junior member. Nice to meet you all.
From May 10 through 15, I went to Singapore with Kodo.
It was my first time performing overseas with Kodo! Actually, it was also my first time to ever travel abroad!
I was a little anxious as I left Japan for the first time and took the six-hour flight to Singapore. As soon as we arrived, along with the humidity I felt the cheerful warmth of Singapore surround me and my worries quickly disappeared.
Soon after arriving, we went to the rehearsal studio of the local taiko group, Hibikiya, who invited us to Singapore. Then we visited the concert venue.
The waterfront venue, Esplanade, has an outdoor stage and the “backdrop” features some of Singapore’s iconic tourist spots: the Merlion and the Marina Bay Sands. There was also a mall there that was bustling with people enjoying meals and shopping. So just being there was fun.
Kodo went to Singapore for a collaboration with Hibikiya, which has so many members and they are so passionate about playing taiko. Their performances also incorporate bamboo flutes and shamisen (Japanese banjo) and they often invite instructors to their group from Japan to give workshops. I was really moved by their attitude towards taiko.
During their performance, I watched them from behind the stage. They were so lively as they performed and I could feel their love for taiko. Their passion struck my heart and it was uplifting.
Meanwhile, when I reflect on my own performance, I have many things to work on as an inexperienced newcomer. It took all my might to try and keep up with the Distinguished Members and senior Kodo members. However, every single move they made taught me, and supported me, so I was able to give the best performance of my current capabilities and strength. During my first performance abroad, I learned where to position myself on the Kodo stage.
Leaving Japan for the first time and traveling overseas, I met people who love taiko and I learned that in only four days we could create such strong bonds, connected through the power of taiko.
Now that I have returned to Japan, I sincerely hope these these bonds won’t fade and I am praying that we will all meet again somewhere.
I hope that this experience, full of firsts for me, will help me to grow even more.
Next up, I will appear in “Kodo One Earth Tour: Chaos.” This will be my first domestic tour with Kodo. I will be the youngest on this tour and I will perform with all of my might on stage throughout Japan.
I am raring to go!!!
“Looking Forward to Continued Connections” by Kosuke Urushikubo
Kodo Debut Performance in Singapore Today
Hello, everyone! How are you? I’m in Singapore right now with a select Kodo ensemble. We will perform tonight at the opening of “Super Japan,” a festival commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Japan. (The photo above is from our rehearsal.)
We will perform tonight full of hope that the relationship between our two countries will continue for many years to come. This event will mark Kodo’s debut performance in Singapore. We are so happy to have the opportunity to take part in this celebration.
At the opening event, we will perform with a local taiko group called Hibikiya. We are thoroughly enjoying our time with them. We also hope that Kodo & Hibikiya’s relationship will continue for many years to come!
We will do our very best on stage tonight.
Super Japan: KODO x HIBIKIYA
May 13 (Fri), 2016 Esplanade- Theatres on the Bay, Singapore
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20160513singapore_en.html
Appearing:Kodo (Yoshikazu Fujimoto, Chieko Kojima, Motofumi Yamaguchi, Eiichi Saito, Tomohiro Mitome, Kosuke Urushikubo, Issei Kohira), Hibikiya
“Rehearsals with Blue Tokyo & Dazzle for –Hisho– (Soaring)” by Shogo Komatsuzaki
Kodo 35th Anniversary Commemorative Concert
Rehearsals for –Hisho– (Soaring) with Blue Tokyo & Dazzle
We held rehearsals at Kodo Village with guest artists Blue Tokyo & Dazzle for the third day finale of our upcoming Kodo 35th Anniversary Commemorative Concerts, a collaboration entitled –Hisho– (Soaring).
We performed with both Blue Tokyo and Dazzle at “Earth Celebration 2014,” so we are looking forward to taking the stage with these two groups this August again.
Reunited on Sado Island after almost two years, we spent three exciting days rehearsing together. Our three groups have clearly forged a deep bond since 2014 and each day our sound and movements melded together, becoming one. It is hard to describe the feel-good sensation of rehearsing with these ensembles.
We see them dance as we play taiko, they hear our drums as they dance. We are really excited to see what kind of “chemical reaction” the sound of our taiko and their dynamic physical expression will create on stage at Suntory Hall this summer.
I hope you will come along to join us for the finale of our Suntory Hall concerts celebrating Kodo’s 35th Anniversary. We look forward to seeing the energy created on stage leap, fly, and soar.
▲Rehearsals with director Tamasaburo Bando
See you at Suntory Hall in Tokyo on Aug. 20!
▲The Kodo members with Dazzle, Blue Tokyo, and artistic director Tamasaburo Bando after our rehearsals.
Photos: Takashi Okamoto
Kodo 35th Anniversary Commemorative Concerts
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20150917kodo35th_en.html
Aug. 18 (Thu), 19 (Fri), 20 (Sat), 2016 Suntory Hall, Tokyo
Aug. 18 (Thu) First Night ‒Deai‒ (Encounters)
Featuring: Kodo, New Japan Philharmonic / Conductor: Tatsuya Shimono
Aug. 19 (Fri) Second Night ‒Spiral‒
Director: Tamasaburo Bando / Featuring: Kodo
Aug. 20 (Sat) Third Night ‒Hisho‒ (Soaring)
Director: Tamasaburo Bando / Featuring: Kodo with guest artists Blue Tokyo & Dazzle
Ticket Outlets:
- Ticket Space Tel. 03-3234-9999 (Mon–Sat 10:00–12:00, 13:00–18:00)
- Suntory Hall Ticket Center Tel. 0570-55-0017
- Ticket Pia Tel. 0570-02-9999 [P-code: 286-898] http://pia.jp/
- e+ (e plus) http://eplus.jp/
- Lawson Ticket Tel. 0570-000-407 (Operator 10:00–20:00) Tel. 0570-084-003 [L-code: 30118] http://l-tike.com/
- Seven Ticket http://7ticket.jp/ Tickets available from multi-copy machines at Seven Eleven stores nationwide.
- Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Ticket Service Tel. 03-5685-0650
Suntory Hall 30th Anniversary Commemorative Event Sponsors: Suntory Beer Limited, Onkyo & Pioneer Innovations Corporation, POLA INC.
“Rehearsals for –Deai– (Encounters)” by Mitsuru Ishizuka
Apr. 12, 2016
Kodo 35th Anniversary Commemorative Concert
–Deai– (Encounters)
We have begun rehearsals on Sado for our upcoming “Kodo 35th Anniversary Commemorative Concerts” that will take place at Suntory Hall in Tokyo this August.
Composer Toshiro Saruya (right) with Kodo’s Masayuki Sakamoto
Composer Sunao Isaji
These past few days we welcomed two composers, Mr. Toshiro Saruya & Mr. Sunao Isaji, and conductor Mr. Tatsuya Shimono to Kodo Village to rehearse for the first concert’s orchestra collaboration entitled –Deai– (Encounters).
When we rehearse for orchestra collaborations, we have to be more attentive than usual to our rhythm and tone, and follow the detailed sheet music with absolute accuracy, and keep an eye on the conductor… so we use a lot of different nerves that we don’t usually exercise on stage. We were all frantically trying to keep up the whole time.
The composers and conductor taught us attentively, and with great detail, how to practice and express classical music, the way sound is created in these compositions, and more. Through their teaching I felt a renewed sense of wonder at the endless span, bottomless depths, and sheer enjoyment of the world of music.
It is now 40 years since the first ever performance of “Mono-Prism,” which Maki Ishii composed for especially for taiko and orchestra. This year, two new taiko and orchestra pieces have been created by two different composers and the world premiere of both works will take place at Suntory Hall this August. This is the one and only performance planned featuring these two new pieces!
After the “Deai” rehearsals, the Kodo members took a commemorative group photo with composers Toshiro Saruya & Sunao Isaji, conductor Tatsuya Shimono, electronic organ players Ms. Shimizu & Ms. Matsuda, and artistic director Tamasaburo Bando.
Kodo 35th Anniversary Commemorative Concerts
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20150917kodo35th_en.html
Aug. 18 (Thu), 19 (Fri), 20 (Sat), 2016 Suntory Hall, Tokyo
Aug. 18 (Thu) First Night ‒Deai‒ (Encounters)
Featuring: Kodo, New Japan Philharmonic / Conductor: Tatsuya Shimono
Aug. 19 (Fri) Second Night ‒Spiral‒
Director: Tamasaburo Bando / Featuring: Kodo
Aug. 20 (Sat) Third Night ‒Hisho‒ (Soaring)
Director: Tamasaburo Bando / Featuring: Kodo with guest artists Blue Tokyo & Dazzle
Ticket Outlets:
- Ticket Space Tel. 03-3234-9999 (Mon–Sat 10:00–12:00, 13:00–18:00)
- Suntory Hall Ticket Center Tel. 0570-55-0017
- Ticket Pia Tel. 0570-02-9999 [P-code: 286-898] http://pia.jp/
- e+ (e plus) http://eplus.jp/
- Lawson Ticket Tel. 0570-000-407 (Operator 10:00–20:00) Tel. 0570-084-003 [L-code: 30118] http://l-tike.com/
- Seven Ticket http://7ticket.jp/ Tickets available from multi-copy machines at Seven Eleven stores nationwide.
- Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Ticket Service Tel. 03-5685-0650
Suntory Hall 30th Anniversary Commemorative Event Sponsors: Suntory Beer Limited, Onkyo & Pioneer Innovations Corporation, POLA INC.
“Kodo Goes to Bali” by Shogo Komatsuzaki
Nov. 24, 2015
Japan was getting ready for winter when we boarded the plane for Bali and the heat that greeted us here was way beyond what I had imagined. Our first performance is Negara went well and we have just arrived in Denpasar. The staff in Negara gave us such a warm welcome and I was so grateful everyday while we were there.
In Bali, my five senses are bustling with sensations I have never experienced before, but it is somehow nostalgic here and the nature and people remind me of Japan. The roots of our cultures feel very close even though they are somewhat different in form.
Suar Agung really set the Shiroyama Concerts on fire at Earth Celebration in August. It is hard to find the right words just yet to describe our first performance in Bali, but I can say that when their groove surrounded us on stage, we felt that they had turned the heat up even further…
We are counteracting their heat with a powerful freshness, like the wind on Sado Island, which we hope will resonate with Suar Agung and the audiences.
“Collaborations with Suar Agung in Bali” by Ryoko Iwamoto
Nov. 23, 2015
Collaborations with Suar Agung in Bali
Kodo and Suar Agung have enjoyed exchange and collaborations together since 1984 in Japan and this year marks our first collaborations with them in Bali, Indonesia. Our performance in Negara, where Suar Agung is based, welcomed an audience of around 600 people. Many of them were local families and there were also Japanese people who live in Bali and from other islands in Indonesia.
The first half of the concert featured Suar Agung and Indonesian dance. Seeing the dancers dance down the stairs of the temple was so exotic! Some of the moves were humorous, too, so I enjoyed seeing their wide array of expressions.
Kodo performed in the second half and we also received a lot of cheers and applause. The audience in Bali hummed along to our music, smiled, and really showed us that they were enjoying our performance. Their obvious pleasure made the Kodo members smile so much on stage.
On Nov. 24 we have another performance in Denpasar. It will be over 30 degrees there. We will do our very best!
Nov. 22 (Mon) & 24 (Tue), 2015 “Project Connect Asia with Traditional Performing Arts” Kodo & Suar Agung Collaboration (Bali, Indonesia)
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20151122bali_en.html
“Rehearsals for ‘Kaguyahime’ on Sado” by Yui Kawamoto
Something is different about the rehearsal hall at Kodo Village this week.
An elegant, comfortable, special sound is resonating throughout the building… what can it be?
It is the sound of the Sado-based rehearsals for “Kaguyahime”!
We are currently rehearsing with conductor Michael de Roo and Gagaku (Japanese court music) ensemble Reigakusha for this month’s ballet performances that will be held in Montreal, Canada.
Here’s to the next performance season of “Kaguyahime” in Montreal! See you soon in Canada!
Kodo Appearance in Ballet Performance “Kaguyahime: The Moon Princess”
Oct. 15 (Thu)–30 (Fri), 2015 Montreal, Canada
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20151015kaguyahime_en.html
“‘Rizumu o Taikan Concert’ (Feel the Rhythm Concert)” by Tsuyoshi Maeda
Sep. 26, 2015
Kodo Appearance at “Rizumu o Taikan Concert” (Feel the Rhythm Concert)
Today we took part in a concert at Bunkamura in Shibuya, Tokyo, especially for citizens of Tokyo. The programme featured tap dancer Kazunori Kumagai, Kotaro Oshio on guitar, and Kodo. We got to collaborate with both artists on a selected pieces during the performance.
Kodo is an ensemble, so when we tour or give performances, we usually perform with just our own members. We don’t have that many opportunities to collaborate with other artists on stage. I learned so much through this collaboration with two top artists. It was so fruitful. Kazunori Kumagai and Kotaro Oshio are both solo artists who face the world head on, alone. They are such powerful individuals. In comparison, I became keenly aware of how small I am. This kind of encounter is undoubtedly inspiring for me as an artist. I am truly grateful for this experience.
Kazunori Kumagai and Kotaro Oshio, thank you very much for such a great collaboration!!!
Kodo Appearance at “Rizumu o Taikan Concert” (Feel the Rhythm Concert)
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20150926rhythm_en.html
Singer Hiromi Iwasaki came to see our performance! Here’s a picture with a few of us backstage afterwards.
(From right: Yuichiro, Kosuke, and I)
“Upon Arrival in Ulan-Ude” by Maya Minowa
Sep. 1, 2015
Upon Arrival in Ulan-Ude, Republic of Buryatia, Russia
Before the buzz from Earth Celebration had faded away, we set off for Ulan-Ude in the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, traveling via Mongolia into Siberia.
We came to perform the music for a ballet production by Morihiro Iwata called “Tamashii” (Spirit). Mr. Iwata is currently the artistic director of the Buryat National Academic House of Ballet. “Tamashii” was created using recordings of Kodo music and for this performance he invited us to come and play the music live. Our rehearsals have begun and I am really looking forward to seeing how this work evolves with the addition of our live music!
Russia-Japan Cultural Festival for Peace and Friendship
Sep. 3 (Thu), 2015 Buryat State National Theatre of Song and Dance “Baikal,” Ulan-Ude, Republic of Buryatia, Russia
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20150903peace&friendship_en.html
“Collaboration with Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra” by Tetsumi Hanaoka
Apr. 8, 2015
Collaboration with Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra
I’m in Osaka with the rest of the Kodo cast and crew for our collaboration with the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra. We are going to perform Maki Ishii’s Mono-Prism under their conductor, Michiyoshi Inoue. It has been 6 years since Kodo last performed Mono-Prism, which was in Rome, Italy, and 22 years since Kodo last performed it in Osaka. It will be my very first time.
From Kodo’s last Mono-Prism performance in Japan, in Tokyo (2008)
As I’m sure many of you know, composer Maki Ishii’s piece Mono-Prism has a subtitle “for Japanese drums and orchestra,” and he based the taiko piece (now a “Kodo classic”) Monochrome on this taiko & orchestra piece.
Maki Ishii also composed Dyu-Ha and ballet suite Kaguyahime, which Kodo has performed countless times. Mono-Prism is a crucial part of Kodo’s history: it was debuted by Kodo’s antecedent group Ondezoka, then performed at Kodo’s own debut at the Berlin Festival in 1981 with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra.
On the first day of rehearsals for this year’s performance, the conductor Michiyoshi Inoue met with Kodo first, to check through the piece together.
He said things like, “This part is sharp, make it cut like a Japanese sword,” and “That part is really menacing!,” and gave us all kinds of advice.
These images might seem obscure, but Mr. Inoue’s instructions were really easy for us to grasp and when we were rehearsing, we could see that his directions were really accurate for the feel of the piece. It felt like he enjoyed following the score and feeling the unique schrony of our taiko, which clashed and harmonized with the orchestra.
On the second day of rehearsals, we practiced Mono-Prism with the orchestra.
Personally, I felt that the orchestra has its own unique physical synchrony and timing, just like taiko does. By no means are they just playing what is written on the score and simply progressing through the piece. I was able to understand this firsthand by taking part in these rehearsals with them. It was a valuable experience for me to see if their synchrony and timing could harmonize with ours as we played taiko. It is a really difficult challenge. This collaboration has taught me so much already, although I haven’t performed this piece for an audience yet! Please come and see us perform this weekend.
Apr. 10 (Fri) & 11 (Sat), 2015 Collaboration with Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra at Festival Hall, Osaka City
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20150410osakaphil_en.html
Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra on Twitter
https://twitter.com/Osaka_phil/status/585045986835202048
