Posts by Kodo Members
“‘Team Uchida’ Prepares for the Next Workshop Performance Tour” by Kenta Nakagome
Rehearsals for the new-look “Workshop Performances,” on the road from late November, have just started. This programme is directed by Eri Uchida and performed by a newly assembled cast. It has a whole new feel, too!
I will play the o-daiko (big drum) on this tour. I am already so excited!
Now that I have gained stage and performing experience, I feel like I can do a variety of things, but when I approach the o-daiko, I want to forget everything and feel brand new each time. As I beat the drum, I just let myself go rather than trying to express myself.
I asked Yoshikazu, “How can you play the o-daiko just by improvisation, without deciding any of the phrases you will play?” and he replied, “I go into the sound that I create.” His words really stayed with me. Now, I play as I feel, encouraged by my own sound. Since he said that to me, I find that the more I play the o-daiko, the more I feel like I can get into the sound and the taiko itself.
The reverberations from the taiko wash over me as I drum and evoke all kinds of feelings, which I want to experience fully, one by one.
Kodo | Workshop Performances
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20141200koryu_en.html
- Dec. 7 (Sun), 2014 Kyoto Performing Arts Center Shunjuza, Kyoto City
- Dec. 20 (Sat), 2014 Kunitachi Geijutsu Sho-Hall, Kunitachi, Tokyo
“Tour Finale on Miyakojima” by Kenta Nakagome
The tour finale for the fall Workshop Performance Tour was on Miyakojima, an island in Okinawa.
It was our first performance there in 12 years, which meant it was the first visit there for most of the cast on this tour.
We had the opportunity to meet people who have been cheering on Kodo since the ensemble first came to Miyako Island in the eighties.
I know Sado is also an island far from mainland Japan… but I was so happy to see people on this far-away island who were so passionate about our group. I played taiko for them, already hoping for the chance to come back here again.
The beautiful sea around Miyakojima was breathtaking!
Our long tour had clocked up twice the length of Japan in mileage. When we got to Miyakojima, everyone we met was so kind, so it was such a feel-good place for us to conclude our performances.
“What I Focus on When I Create New Pieces” by Yuta Sumiyoshi
Oct. 12, 2014
I am writing this blog post on my day off in Saitama Prefecture. On our days off, we all go about our normal daily lives.
Me? Well, I went for a bit of a run this morning and right now I am at laundromat, watching the tumble-dryer do its thing. Our tours always get so hectic, so times like this to chill and stare off into space are unexpectedly precious. Ideas for new taiko pieces often come to me at times like this.
So, today I would like to talk about what I think is most important when I compose pieces.
When I create a new piece, I always make it thinking about incorporating a moment that will move the audience listening or watching and give them goosebumps. I do not know if “goosebumps” is the best expression, but hope you can kind of get what I mean by that…
I think this sensation of goosebumps, or chills, is something that everyone feels, regardless of their own personal preferences or cultural background.
Such different music, impossible to list, is scattered around the world, and to me good music always has a moment somewhere that gives people goosebumps. I think there are various things that move us in music, like the distinct characteristics of the musical instruments, development throughout the piece leading up to that moment, phrasing, and so on. On the other hand, sometimes I think these moments are related to the certain charms of the performers who bring the music to life.
To create music, I think it is also very important to study musical elements and their cultural background. Then, we can recreate new pieces by filtering those elements through our own sensibilities.
“Be Prepared & Have No Regrets” by Tetsumi Hanaoka
On Oct. 5, we gave a performance of “Kodo One Earth Tour: Mystery” in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki. We also came here with “Legend” two years ago and we were happy to be back.
Let me tell you about one type of drum we use on stage. Shimedaiko (the small drums shown above) have drum heads that are bound together by either bolts or one long rope. Kodo always uses roped shimedaiko so we can create an unconstrained, mellow yet clear, shrill sound. But because we tune our shimedaiko before every performance, the ropes wear out and eventually snap. We need to keep replacing them.
So, we always have extra ropes on hand, just in case. The ropes are made of hemp and they are very stiff, so we pull them and beat them every day to make them just the right softness. By doing this, if one of the ropes snaps during our daily tuning, we always have rope on hand that is ready to replace it right there and then.
As the saying goes, “Be prepared & have no regrets.”
Everyday, we all do our best to be in top condition for our performances!
“‘Mystery’ Performance in Iwaki” by Shogo Komatsuzaki
On October 4, we performed in my hometown of Iwaki, Fukushima. It was my first time to perform in Iwaki as a Kodo member. Thanks to the support of the venue, Iwaki Performing Arts Center Alios, the audience there had gathered from all over Fukushima Prefecture. It was a beautiful day and my heart was filled with happiness.
No matter how much I think about it, all I can think to say is “Thank you” to all of the people who helped us with this performance. Even though people in Fukushima are still having a hard time, they manage to turn their tough experiences into strength and they smile a lot. They reminded me that I get my own strength from them too, everywhere I go, all the time, with each step I take.
I hope this performance will become a link between Iwaki and Kodo. I will continue to do my best, in the hopes of coming back to perform in Iwaki soon.
“New Connections & Experiences” by Yoko Fujimoto
This year, I have been on an array of adventures thanks to the birth of my CD, “Yamazu Megurumo.” Right now, I am so happy to have made friends with musicians on Sado.
I performed with harpsichord player Seiko Sato in July, then in September I performed with Masahiro Isono (mandolin, guitar, vocals), Akira Kato (bass), Yoshie Homma (chorus) and a mystery support guitarist.
I have experienced so many new things and I worked hard with them. These were such good experiences! They asked me to hold regular concerts, which makes me so happy to hear. I hope we can perform together again.
Now, I am in Wachi with my mother-in-law & father-in-law.
I will continue my adventures on Sado, in Wachi, and on my travels.
I’m grateful that my in-laws are keeping well!
“On Stage in ‘RESONANCE 2014′” by Chieko Kojima
On Stage in “RESONANCE 2014” (Roppongi, Tokyo)
Taking part in this performance was a dream of mine and it finally came true! “Resonance” is an ongoing music & art series directed by former Kodo member Kaoru Watanabe, with artwork and production by TokyoDex. I was really looking forward to joining an array of artists on stage for this unique performance, including a number of former Kodo members who have been truly flourishing as solo artists, and I was also wondering how to show my own true colors as an artist in this challenging “arena.”
The packed venue in Roppongi felt like a whirlpool of passionate energy. The performance was a glorious one-night-only battle of flair, inspiration and improvisation. It was also a chance for me to encounter a new version of myself.
Photos: Maiko Miyagawa
Chieko Kojima Appearance in “RESONANCE 2014”
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20140911yoin_en.html
Featuring: Kaoru Watanabe, Kiyohiko Semba, Chieko Kojima (Kodo), Kaori Takahashi, Tetsuro Naito, Shogo Yoshii, Azumi Yamano, and live art by TokyoDex
“Workshop Performance in Ono, Hyogo” by Kenta Nakagome
Kodo Workshop Performance in Ono, Kyoto
This venue is very close to where Tsuyoshi Maeda grew up and many of people who have supported him all along came to see this performance.
Tsuyoshi was so relaxed as he played taiko and sang songs to this audience in response to their warmth and hopes. I’m sure he has kept improving since childhood by performing for them, gaining skill with each performance. I felt that I saw his true roots through this performance. We all enjoyed performing in such a warm atmosphere.
This Workshop Performance programme, directed by Tsuyoshi, premiered at the end of 2013. This current tour is the last tour for this particular programme. We have improved as a small ensemble through our performances every day. I know I will enjoy performing this programme right until the very end of our tour!
Sep. – Oct. 2014 Kodo Workshop Performances
“Performance at ‘With World-Renowned Kodo: Sado, Island of Performing Arts'” by Ryosuke Inada
I performed at “With World-Renowned Kodo: Sado, Island of Performing Arts” on Sado Island. This is a special performance series for tourists who come and stay on Sado.
For our programme, it was a cast of veteran performers with the exception of me, so I felt even more tense more than usual. As soon as our rehearsals began, I did my best to grit my teeth and try keep up with them, letting the sound of each beat they drummed echo into my core. These performances really made me think about putting my heart and soul into my sound to convey my feelings to the audience.
This performance also featured wonderful traditional Sado performing arts such as Ondeko (demon drumming and dance) Sado Okesa (folk song and dance), so I think the audience enjoyed this varied concert, which showed another side to Kodo from our usual performances.
“Ferry to Kyushu” by Kenta Nakagome
After our School Workshop Performances in Yawatahama, Ehime, we took a ferry to Kyushu for our performances in Kumamoto Prefecture.
Kodo Workshop Performances
Sep. – Oct. 2014 Schedule http://www.kodo.or.jp/oet/index_en.html#schedule09b