Posts by Kodo Members
“Rehearsal for Niigata Station Event” by Kenta Nakagome
May 2, 2014
On May 4, we will perform at the “Umasa Gisshiri CoCoLo Special Festa” at Niigata Station. We had a run through rehearsal for it today! It’s a 30-minute performance but it’s an action-packed programme.
Please come along to see us at Niigata Station!
Kodo Website | Kodo Appearances at Niigata Station Events
“Preparing for One Hot Summer!” by Mitsuru Ishizuka
Earth Celebration 2014 Rehearsals
In April, Kodo welcomed this year’s Earth Celebration guest artists to Sado Island for rehearsals for the upcoming concerts in summer.
The rehearsals with “DAZZLE,” who bring a wonderful & unique world of their own, and superhuman “BLUE TOKYO” were the best, and kept us all astonished from beginning to end!
▲Rehearsals with DAZZLE
▲ Rehearsals with BLUE TOKYO
During our lunch break we played kemari (a Japanese ball game) and it was a great chance to get to know each other better. Our teamwork was spot on!
We hope you’re getting excited about our performances together this summer!
(Photos: Takashi Okamoto)
“Setting Off on the Spring ‘Mystery’ Tour!” by Maya Minowa
We have just set off from Kodo Village on our Spring “Mystery” tour!
We will start our tour from Kagoshima, in Kyushu where I was born. I am so excited! We are looking forward to seeing you all, all over Japan!
“The Rock Cave of Heaven” by Chieko Kojima
“The Rock Cave of Heaven” in Barcelona, Spain
February 28, 2014
This is a video of my collaboration with contemporary dancer, Cesc Gelabert. This footage captures my first time performing in a world of contemporary dance. I would like to delve even deeper into this special work.
Public performance of work-in-progress piece “The Rock Cave of Heaven, “ a collaboration between Chieko Kojima and one of Spain’s leading contemporary dancers, Cesc Gelabert.
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20140228chieko_en.html
Photos: Rob Ribas
“Trip to Argentina” by Yoshikazu Fujimoto
At our performance venue Paseo La Plaza, Buenos Aires.
(With Yoko at the theater entrance)
Argentina is the furtherest country from Japan. The time there is the total opposite from day & night in Japan. There are many Japanese-Argentinean people due to its history of immigrants from Japan, and they uphold Japanese culture there with great care. We met people who love Japanese taiko, who make taiko by hand, who formed taiko groups and, of course, who play taiko. They all started playing taiko without any teachers. I was very impressed by their attitude towards taiko.
“Kakinoura’s Festival” by Tomohiro Mitome
On April 15, spring festivals were held all over Sado Island. The community of Kakinoura, where the Kodo Apprentice Centre is located, has taken the Kodo apprentices “under its wings” and teaches them how to dance the local demon dance every year.
If they reach the right standard, some apprentices may be allowed to wear the special costumes and perform as demons in the festival. This is such a special day.
“New Car Ferry ‘Tokiwa-maru’” by Maya Minowa
We performed at the special event for the new car ferry “Tokiwa-maru” before its public launch.
It was the first time for me to play taiko on a moving ship.
The weather was bad, so it rolled and rocked. Even when we bowed at the end of performance, it was hard to stand straight. This ferry is bigger and more beautiful than I expected! I know we will use this ferry a lot from now on.
“Special Performance on New Sado Kisen Ferry ‘Tokiwa-maru’!” by Eri Uchida
April 4 Performance to Commemorate the Maiden Voyage of New Ferry “Tokiwa-maru”
A new ferry has joined the Sado Kisen fleet, which we always use to come and go from Sado Island. This was my first experience of performing on the sea. I was both really excited about the new ferry and really worried about getting seasick.
We set sail and our performance commenced!
We began with okedo-daiko piece Ugachi, which we played as we wove our way through the audience. Then we performed Hobashira Okoshi Ondo, a tradtional workmen’s song for raising the mast on sail boats. Kenta Nakagome played Odaiko, then to finish with a bang we all performed Yatai-bayashi. I could barely stand straight for the encore piece, but once you go with the motion of the waves, you get into a different groove than usual and that was fun in itself.
“On the Road Again” by Ryosuke Inada
The Workshop Performance team just got back 3 days ago, but today they set off on the road again. This time they’ll perform at “Art Mix Japan 2014” and other events. We saw them off playing taiko and cheered them on, in a somewhat macho way.
Do your best!
We promise to practise hard while you’re away!
▼Kodo Performance at “Art Mix Japan 2014”
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20140405artmixjapan_en.html
Announcement from Yosuke Oda
This is an announcement from Yosuke Oda.
I hope this message finds you all well.
I would like to make a personal announcement.
This summer I will get married to Harei Aine, who I collaborated with in the 2013 “Amaterasu” performances.
I realized that I was in love with this natural, beautiful woman who is filled with kindness. I look forward to facing the future with her at my side. I am truly grateful for this opportunity to announce my wedding plans to all of my supporters. I sincerely hope that you will continue to encourage both of us enthusiastically and support our future activities.
Yosuke Oda
Kodo, Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble
Harei Aine starred in the Takarazuka Revue as a male role performer until 2012 and has been a freelance artist ever since. In 2013, she collaborated with Kodo as a special guest artist in “Amaterasu,” portraying Ameno-uzume. We are delighted that she now has an even greater connection to Kodo and Sado Island and we wish Harei Aine and Yosuke Oda a very happy future together.
Harei Aine Official Website (in Japanese)
http://aineharei.com/
Yosuke Oda
http://www.kodo.or.jp/member/yosuke_en.html