Posts by Kodo Members
“Ninjas!” by Kenta Nakagome
I was captured by ninjas at Matsumoto Castle!
We performed at the Taiko Drum Festival at Matsumoto Castle and many of the elementary school children we met during our recent School Workshop Performances in Matsumoto came along to see us. It was so good to see them all again! We had a great time. Thank you very much, everyone in Matsumoto!
Kodo Guest Appearance at “The 28th Annual Taiko Drum Festival at Matsumoto Castle”
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20150725matsumotojo_en.html
“Kodo Juku at Fukaura Schoolhouse” by Yoshikazu Fujimoto
Kodo Cultural Foundation Project: “Kodo Juku at Fukaura Schoolhouse” Live-in Workshops
O-daiko & Ogi Matsuri Daiko with Yoshikazu Fujimoto
From Jul. 3 through 5, I led a “Kodo Juku at Fukaura Schoolhouse” live-in workshop for eleven participants. The group was made up of men and women of various ages from all over Japan, as well as four people from overseas who came along to play taiko for the first time. It was such a mixed bunch: the youngest participant was 17 and the eldest was 68 years old! We had four workshop sessions in all: Day 1 afternoon, Day 2 morning & afternoon, and Day 3 morning. I used these sessions to teach them O-daiko, where they face the drum and beat it, and Ogi Matsuri Daiko, where they drum standing side-on to the drum, plus a further two pieces. It was tough for them to learn all the different rhythms to play, but they all worked hard and managed to get through each piece. They came together as one, and I was so happy! I breathed a sigh of relief.
On the first day we had a BBQ outside, and I poured my heart and soul into making my specialty egg dish, dashi maki tamago, for them all to enjoy.
Lively breakfast together after our morning walk
Kodo Cultural Foundation staff playing Ogi Matsuri Daiko in front of the Sado Island Taiko Centre to farewell the participants
“The Sound of Bamboo” by Kosuke Urushikubo
June 30, 2015
The other day after our performance in Kimitsu, Chiba, some of my fellow Kodo members and I went to visit Ranjo-san.
Ranjo-san is a bamboo flute maker who has been crafting the flutes that Kodo uses for many, many years. Apparently, there has recently been a rise in the number of people who have started playing the shinobue (Japanese transverse bamboo flute). And some 9 out of 10 of those newcomers play a bamboo flute made by Ranjo-san. Ranjo’s name is so well-known these days amongst shinobue enthusiasts, both throughout Japan as well as abroad. I am truly grateful that he helps me choose bamboo flutes to play that suit me the best. Then he gives me advice on how to play them.
Each flute is made from a living being: bamboo. The girth, thickness of the bamboo, and size of the holes may look the same for each instrument at a glance, but each one is completely unique.
Ranjo-san taught me that the most important thing to think of when you choose a flute is what kind of sound you want to create with it.
I am one of several shinobue players in the Kodo ensemble. So, what kind of sound do I want to share with our audiences? In other words, what kind of feeling do I want to convey to our audiences through my sound? I thought about that long and hard. The other members with me also thought deeply as they picked up each flute and played it to see what kind of sound they could create.
Please come along to see “Kodo One Earth Tour: Eternity” so you can hear the sound of our ideas and emotions through Ranjo’s flutes.
“Kodo One Earth Tour 2015: Eternity” Japan Tour (June–July, Sep.–Oct.)
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20150606oet_en.html
[June–July] Kanagawa, Saitama, Gunma, Chiba, Osaka, Nagano, Kyoto, Ehime, Hiroshima
[Sep. Oct.] Chiba, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Yamagata, Iwate, Akita, Shizuoka, Aichi, Hyogo, Tottori, Yamaguchi, Fukuoka, Kagoshima
“Ikkan Fugetsu Vol. 2: Tomoshibi” by Motofumi Yamaguchi
Ikkan Fugetsu Vol. 2: Tomoshibi
On July 10, my second album “Ikkan Fugetsu Vol. 2: Tomoshibi” was released at long last! Thank you for your patience and support, everyone.
For this album, I didn’t limit myself to playing Japanese songs since I play a Japanese bamboo flute… I decided to include a wide range of songs that I like, ranging from Russian folksongs to American sprituals, from my own originals to Uyghur folksongs.
I invited Mikio Tsuji (eleven-string alto guitar), Yumi Nogami (piano & vocals), and Yoshie Abe (tategoto [vertical koto harp] & vocals) to collaborate with me on the album. They are all such unique performers and they shared their talents without restraint. I chose my bamboo flute, either makobue or shinobue, especially to suit each song… but actually, I really had no choice but to play a shinobue for many of the pieces to suit the delicate tones of Mr. Tsuji’s guitar and Ms. Abe’s harp.
Just like on my first album, the last track is kind of like a bonus track, so to speak. I dedicated this track to the late Akira Nino, the pianist who performed on my debut album. I thought the lyrics of “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” sounded like his inner monologue during his life, so I chose this piece for him. When you listen to it, when the lyrics say the word “Lord,” please think of the word “Music.”
By the way, here’s the word on the street:
“Music these days is all downloadable, cheap and convenient.”
“Not at all, it is better to buy a CD that spins and have a cover to hold and read.”
And here’s what I say:
“One or the other, or both, I don’t mind… just please listen to the music.”
At the “Gin-iro no Kaze” Concert on Dec. 18, 2015. From left: Yumi Nogami, Kosuke Urushikubo (Kodo), Motofumi Yamaguchi, Yoshie Abe, and Mikio Tsuji.
Discography | Ikkan Fugetsu Vol. 2: Tomoshibi
http://www.kodo.or.jp/discography/od012_en.html
[CD] Motofumi Yamaguchi “Ikkan Fugetsu Vol. 2: Tomoshibi” at Kodo Online Store
http://kodo.shop.multilingualcart.com/goods_en_jpy_80.html
“‘Yamazu Megurumo’ Concert” by Yoko Fujimoto
Yoko Fujimoto “Yamazu Meguromo” Concert
At Craft Kowa, Tokyo (June 10, 2015)
Wakako Sato, the presenter of this concert, uses traditional picture mounting skills in ways that suit our modern way of life and hopes to hand these skills down to future generations. Even though our fields of works are different, she shares the same passion for creation that the Kodo group has pumping through its veins. Wakako was my classmate in high school. Surrounded by the energy of our friendship and her works, at this concert I sang in such a relaxed, feel-good way, while plucking away at a makoto harp*, which I had only just been introduced to for the very first time!
*Makoto harp: A new instrument created by Rieko Renuma after the 3.11 Tohoku Pacific Earthquake & Tsunami.
Wakako Sato works closely with her neighbors and community to organize events that bind the city and country through food. Her network is similar to the concept we had when we founded Kodo Village on Sado Island.
Since spring I have been blessed with a number of new encounters, including the makoto harp, and the path of my “journey with song” has become clearer all of a sudden. I will use songs to boost people’s immunity, as well as my own.
Does that make you laugh? Well, I mean it!
That’s exactly what I want to do!
With the makoto harp
In other words, I am focusing on the love involved in singing and music. For example, when you play an instrument or sing, you express an array of things. If the audience tells you they were moved, soothed, encouraged, or so on, well if that makes you happy as an artist, you could say that you perform to move and energize others, as your purpose. Artists and their audiences give and receive, love and receive love, interact and share all kinds of emotions and experiences, good and bad. We can all choose to think of life and all its encounters as interesting or challenging, instead of rough or tough. We can cry together and laugh together.
If you share your emotions and let people and music in, your heart and mind can feel that connection to others and receive great power. As we are uplifted emotionally, our physical strength, and even our immunity and resilience, also increase. By singing, drumming, dancing, and sharing time together, we can create power within us, which we can then draw on in times of need. This power will help us to overcome various difficulties and all kinds of infections, both now and in the future. That’s a wonderful thing to do, don’t you think? I believe that music and communication can have this effect and I will continue working and singing in the hopes of sharing this effect with many people.
I want to use my power as an artist to create a network of love and harmony that strengthens people from within. I’ll continue my travels with an enthusiastic smile on my face, singing as I go… here, there and everywhere. I’ll do my very best!
Artworks created by Wakako Sato
“Beating the Drums, Playing the Drums” by Koki Miura
June 21, 2015
We have just finished our “DADAN 2015” concert series in Tokyo and now we are straight back into our “Eternity” tour around Japan.
“DADAN” is an explosive, pulsating, non-stop hard-hitting performance. “Eternity” is performed with control and fine attention to detail. These two performances are so different, and by performing both of them back to back, we can feel just how far our range of expression is broadening with time.
Tamasaburo Bando, our artistic director, said he wanted this production to express the workings of nature. Personally, I think that nature is inherently perfect and beautiful and, as a consequence, the “Eternity” performance is an extraordinarily beautiful production.
I want our audiences to enjoy just being in the same space as our performance. I want it to make them feel good. Please come along and experience the natural realm we create in “Eternity.”
“Kodo One Earth Tour 2015: Eternity” Japan Tour (June–July, Sep.–Oct.)
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20150606oet_en.html
[June–July] Kanagawa, Saitama, Gunma, Chiba, Osaka, Nagano, Kyoto, Ehime, Hiroshima
[Sep. Oct.] Chiba, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Yamagata, Iwate, Akita, Shizuoka, Aichi, Hyogo, Tottori, Yamaguchi, Fukuoka, Kagoshima
“School Workshop Performances in Matsumoto” by Ryosuke Inada
June 22, 2015
Our School Workshop Performances in Matsumoto, Nagano, are coming to an end soon. Every day we meet a lot of children at each school we visit. I really treasure all of the encounters we have with the school kids every day.
My aim is to give a performance each time that makes all the kids, both the bubbly ones and shy ones alike, want to give us all a handshake or high five as they leave the performance. I want our visit to make them want to say, “See you again!” to us as we part ways.
I have realised that to make this happen, it is not just my performance that is important, which of course has to be good. I have to also mind the way I act in front of them and the way I talk to them in between each piece. They notice everything.
Children are very open and they give us a lot of power and energy. I think it is important for me to stand before them with openness and honesty. I want to return their energy with the sound and power of my own performance.
School Workshop Performances
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20150627koryu_en.html
“Hello Kodo” Small Ensemble Performance
July 20 (Mon), 2015 Kashiwazaki City Performing Arts Center Art Forêt, Kashiwazaki, Niigata
“School Workshop Performances in Nagano” by Masaru Tsuji
June 20, 2015
We are currently in Matsumoto, Nagano, using taiko to facilitate exchange with school children. Our visits are mainly to elementary schools, as well as some junior high schools, schools for children with special needs, and schools for children with visual impairments.
Everyday we are surrounded by kids, and they are all so sweet.
I don’t know what kind of impact our visit and taiko playing has on each child. I imagine that each and every one of them has their own unique response to us. I hope that our visit will make them feel something new, and maybe that will have an influence on them in the future in some way.
The world is filled with wonderful things that I hope these kids will experience throughout their lives. When I visit each school, I hope our visit and interaction with them is one of many good experiences for them.
We have two days to go of School Performances in Matsumoto. It has been great here.
I’ll do my best for the remaining performances and I’m looking forward to next time already!
School Workshop Performances
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20150627koryu_en.html
“Hello Kodo” Small Ensemble Performance
July 20 (Mon), 2015 Kashiwazaki City Performing Arts Center Art Forêt, Kashiwazaki, Niigata
“My Thirties: Episode 1” by Kenta Nakagome
I turned 30 this month.
Today, I spent another fun day playing taiko at elementary schools.
We all beat the taiko with all our might and made such a big racket, drumming and yelling!
Hip! Hip! Hip!
Hoooooooooray!!!
School Workshop Performances
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20150627koryu_en.html
“Hello Kodo” Small Ensemble Performance
July 20 (Mon), 2015 Kashiwazaki City Performing Arts Center Art Forêt, Kashiwazaki, Niigata
“My First Tour with Kodo” by Masaya Koike
June 18, 2015
I am currently in Matsumoto, Nagano, on my first ever tour with Kodo. I am a member of the School Performance Tour cast and we are spending about 3 weeks in Matsumoto giving performances at a range of schools.
I actually wrote about Kodo’s School Workshop Performances in my essay when I applied to become a Kodo apprentice because I was so interested in this side to Kodo’s activities. I think it is a wonderful programme because it allows the audience to sit up close to Kodo and feel the power of Kodo and taiko firsthand. The audience even has a chance to play taiko during the performance.
I play taiko, bamboo flutes, and metal percussion instruments in the current programme. We perform everyday so it is rather challenging, but I am doing my best to keep up with the others.
At the moment, we are mainly visiting elementary schools. The children have a sparkle in their eyes and they enjoy our performances and talk to us a lot. I have noticed that their presence and energy gives me a real boost.
At one of the elementary schools, one of the kids said, “Taiko is so cool!” That really stuck with me. I feel like our message really got through to them.
I think the biggest challenge for me on this tour is to discover myself. I want to answer some questions about myself: what do I want to do, what kind of person do I want to be, and who am I really? I want to take a close look at myself and figure out these answers.
Matsumoto is such a great place and I am enjoying every day here. They have really delicious soba noodles here, too! This tour has now passed the halfway mark. Our cast is also performing “Kodo Interactive Performances” for the general public, so if you have the chance, please come along and see us!
I am doing my best despite the summer heat! I want to share the joy of taiko with everyone, all over the world!
School Workshop Performances
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20150627koryu_en.html
“Hello Kodo” Small Ensemble Performance
July 20 (Mon), 2015 Kashiwazaki City Performing Arts Center Art Forêt, Kashiwazaki, Niigata