Posts by Kodo Members
“The Grand Finale of ‘Eternity’!” by Mitsuru Ishizuka
Our “Eternity” tour, which began in the winter of 2014, held its final performance in Kagoshima on Oct. 18, 2015. Thank you very much to everyone who came to see our performances nationwide!
The Eternity production features all brand new compositions and so many different new musical, physical, and performance elements. We gained so much through this tour and I can really feel that both Kodo and I have grown through this ground-breaking production. While there are currently no plans for any future performances, I really hope that many more people will have the chance to experience this profound work live on stage.
Using this finale as a new starting point, Kodo will continue to work with devotion, aiming for even higher heights and to create even deeper realms on stage. First up is our next new performance, “Chaos.” Please come along to see it!
“Eternity” Sep.–Oct. 2015 Japan Tour
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20150606oet_en.html
Discography | Eternity
http://www.kodo.or.jp/discography/od013014_en.html
“Off to Ehime!” by Mariko Omi
Oct. 23, 2015
It’s a beautiful autumn day here on Sado Island! Today a group of us set off from Sado to head to Ehime where we will perform at the Ehime Prefecture Cultural Festival.
Sado’s toki (crested ibis) mascot Saddoki saw us off at the port. Saddoki is so cute with his round body and flapping wings.
Ehime, see you soon! We’re on our way!
Kodo Appearance at the 2015 Ehime Prefecture Cultural Festival
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20151025ehime_en.html
“Cooking Together” by Tetsumi Hanaoka
Oct. 15, 2015
I’ve been in Canada for a week now. When we travel abroad, we usually eat out for most of our meals. It’s enjoyable to eat local food to experience a place, but we also long for the tastes of Japan.
This time while I’m in Montreal, I have a kitchen in my hotel room. So I decided to cook while I’m here!
For this particular lunch, each person was in charge of bringing along one part of the same dish.
Ryosuke was in charge of the vegetables: carrots, onions, and potatoes. The onion was almost as big as his face!
I was in charge of the pork, which I carved myself.
Kenta was in charge of the rice.
Yuta was in charge of the curry roux… so yes, that’s right: we made Japanese curry together!
When we all get together and cook like this, it reminds me of life at the Kodo Apprentice Centre and living in the dorm at Kodo Village.
Curry tastes so good when you make it and eat it with others. We made a full pot and ate every last bit. (LOL)
This should see us through the rehearsals this afternoon!
Ballet Performance “Kaguyahime: The Moon Princess”
Oct. 15 (Thu)–30 (Fri), 2015 Montreal, Canada
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20151015kaguyahime_en.html
Kodo Cast: Masaru Tsuji, Kenta Nakagome, Eri Uchida, Maya Minowa, Yuta Sumiyoshi, Tetsumi Hanaoka, Ryosuke Inada
(Photo: Damian Siqueiros / Dancers: Jerimy Rivera & Edi Blloshmi)
“Ready for ‘Kaguyahime’!” by Kenta Nakagome
Oct. 14, 2015
We had our full dress rehearsal for “Kaguyahime” today.
It’s our opening night tomorrow!
Ballet Performance “Kaguyahime: The Moon Princess”
Oct. 15 (Thu)–30 (Fri), 2015 Montreal, Canada
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20151015kaguyahime_en.html
Kodo Cast: Masaru Tsuji, Kenta Nakagome, Eri Uchida, Maya Minowa, Yuta Sumiyoshi, Tetsumi Hanaoka, Ryosuke Inada
(Photo: Damian Siqueiros / Dancers: Jerimy Rivera & Edi Blloshmi)
“Taiko Workshops in Fukuoka Prefecture” by Mitsuru Ishizuka
Oct. 11 Kodo Workshops at Kobunren 30th Anniversary Special Event
We were invited to the Kobunren 30th Anniversary Special Event for high school taiko groups in Fukuoka Prefecture. Last time we came to this event was in December 2014. This time, we brought them a much grander workshop program… actually, we came with four different taiko courses for them! The instructors were Yosuke Oda, Masayuki Sakamoto, Yosuke Kusa, and I. There were around 80 students, so they all split into groups to take their choice of workshop.
The event started at 10:00 with an opening performance by the Kodo “Eternity” cast. Then we had a morning and afternoon session of each course. It was an action-packed day!
The high school students all really want to improve as taiko players, so we did our best to share as much as we could with them and gave them as many tips as possible. They were all so frank and earnest, and they absorbed everything we taught them with such speed. They really grew as taiko players! We received so much energy from them all!
When it was time for us to leave, all the students lined up to farewell us. They were so sweet.
Thank you very much! Do your best! We’ll do our best, too!
“Mr. de Roo’s Special Souvenir” by Tetsumi Hanaoka
Just as we thought the colours of autumn were getting richer, all of a sudden there was snow in Montreal! Over the weekend the temperature fell and today it was just 1℃ during the day. Of course, the cold is no problem for Kodo! We are all doing our best!
We had rehearsals on Sado Island, then further rehearsals after we arrived in Montreal, and last week the curtain rose on the 2015 season of “Kaguyahime”! Every day our conductor, Mr. Michael de Roo, made detailed adjustments to the music as the dancers rehearsed on stage.
The choreographers are so serious during the rehearsals, but during the breaks we can see their playful side, too!
The percussionists are all so friendly. I’ll tell you more about them and our interactions with them soon!
Back to the conductor, Mr. de Roo. A certain item has pride of place on his music stand. Can you guess what it is?
It’s a Hokusetsu notepad!
Hokusetsu is the name of a sake brewery in Akadomari on Sado Island. Mr. de Roo likes Japanese sake, especially sake from Sado! During our rehearsals at Kodo Village, it turns out that he visited the Hokusetsu Brewery for a tour and was given this notepad!
When we saw Mr. de Roo’s beloved souvenir from Sado Island in Canada, it warmed our hearts.
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
Kodo Cast: Masaru Tsuji, Kenta Nakagome, Eri Uchida, Maya Minowa, Yuta Sumiyoshi, Tetsumi Hanaoka, Ryosuke Inada
(Photo: Damian Siqueiros / Dancers: Jerimy Rivera & Edi Blloshmi)
“My O-daiko Camp in Kyotanba Wachi” by Yoshikazu Fujimoto
On the 3rd & 4th, the first weekend in October, I led a two-day live-in workshop in my hometown, Kyotanba Wachi in Kyoto Prefecture. The 24 participants who joined me there traveled from Tokyo, Kanagawa, Gunma, Gifu, Hiroshima, Okayama, Mie, Nara, Hyogo, Osaka, Fukui, Shiga, Kyoto, and as far away as Canada. We enjoyed a very intense weekend of making good vibrations and connections together in Wachi.
The venue was Wachi Taiko’s practice hall, which used to be an elementary school in Wachi. Now the former school building has a new purpose.
Thankfully, it was a sunny autumn weekend. So we got to go outside on the school field and play “air taiko” to practise the taiko rhythms as we sang them out loud. It felt so good to have the grass under our bare feet. It was the best place to hold a camp! Everyone stayed at a Japanese inn in front of JR Wachi Stn. called Kadoya Ryokan. We had a dinner party there and we all had such a great time eating, drinking, chatting and dancing together.
On the Sunday morning, Wachi Taiko was invited to perform at a sports festival on the plains where Wachi Taiko originated. So we went to Fujinomori Shrine and I played Wachi Taiko as a special offering with the members of the Wachi Taiko preservation group, Wachi Taiko Hozonkai. All the taiko camp participants came along to watch us drum.
We plan to hold this “O-daiko Camp” every year in my hometown. If the timing didn’t suit you this time, I hope you can make it next time! Please come along. I’ll be early waiting for you with the presenter, Wachi Taiko Hozonkai (Wachi Taiko Preservation Group).
Photos: Mr. Takeshi Emoto of Wachi Taiko Hozonkai
“Our Performance in Legendary Yabu” by Mariko Omi
Our Performance in Legendary Yabu
Oct. 3, 2015 “Kodo One Earth Tour: Eternity”
From the beginning of our current tour, the senior members have been saying “but when we’re at the venue in Yabu” so many times and they have brought up interesting things about this legendary hall.
“We have to roll the O-daiko in from outside up a staircase!”
“Last time, we set up the O-daiko cart on the stage even though it was a tight fit.”
“They have a profound love for Kodo at the hall in Yabu.”
As our performance there approached, I got so curious about Yabu from hearing all the different things the Kodo members had to say about it!
Rehearsal in Yabu
Viva Hall in Yabu is smaller than most of our usual venues with just 333 seats and a smaller stage to match. It was such a cozy place accompanied by a really warm, heartfelt welcome from all of the staff.
Rehearsal in Yabu
No matter how different a venue is, we have to create the unique realm of “Eternity” on stage as intended by the artistic director and deliver the production to our audience properly. So during our rehearsals at each venue, we check every element in our performance with great attention to detail, from the angle of our gazes into the audience to how we produce each sound to suit the acoustics.
I felt relieved when we received such warm applause from the full house during our performance in Yabu.
When each and every member of the cast actively reconsiders the essence of “Eternity,” we move with more detail and create sound together with more depth. I can feel our performance gaining depth and becoming more refined each time we go through this deliberate process.
“Eternity” Sep.–Oct. 2015 Japan Tour
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20150606oet_en.html
Discography | Eternity
http://www.kodo.or.jp/discography/od013014_en.html
“The ‘Kaguyahime’ Cast Leaves Sado” by Kenta Nakagome
Oct. 5, 2015
Today, the cast for “Kaguyahime” left Sado Island.
See you later, sunny Sado Island! Canada, here we come!
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
Kodo Cast: Masaru Tsuji, Kenta Nakagome, Eri Uchida, Maya Minowa, Yuta Sumiyoshi, Tetsumi Hanaoka, Ryosuke Inada
“‘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)