Posts by Staff
“Rwandan Soul Food” by Kiyoko Oi
I took part in a Rwandan Home Cooking class on June 8.
Instructor: Marie Louise Kambenga
President of NPO Think About Education in Rwanda/ Resident of Fukushima
*Menu*
・Rwandan Omelettes
・Stewed Cabbage with Tomatoes
・Stewed Beans and Carrots in Tomato Puree
・Fried Potatoes (Pre-boiled)
・Ugali (paste made from corn flour and water)
・Salt Covered Roasted Peanuts
・African Ginger Tea (with milk)
These mild dishes were mainly flavored with salt and tomatoes and they were all meat-free. Though simple, the flavor of the vegetables came out so nicely in the dishes that they make you eat a lot of vegetables for sure! If you like, you can also add a hot spice called akabanga to the dishes. I’m not so good with spicy foods, so when I tried it, at first it felt like a hot attack on my tastebuds. But then the heat faded away and the akabanga brought out even more flavor from the vegetables. If you try this spice, you could become hooked on it! We got to use maize, raw peanuts, akabanga and tea all brought here from Uganda.
When I think of Africa, I imagine the desert, but Marie said they have a lot of vegetables in Rwanda! The vegetables we used today are popular around Japan, so I am planning to cook these dishes for lunch at Kodo Village. Corn flour is not easy to get, but I think rice flour can be used as a substitute for it.
On June 7, Marie gave a lecture on “Important Things: Life, Peace & Education – A Look at Children as the Future” and the following day she held this cooking class as an exchange event. Thank you, Marie!
I will make use of this experience when I plan meals at Kodo Village.
“Asakusa by Night” by Naomi Iseki
This year, there will be one evening performance during the “Kodo One Earth Tour: Mystery” concerts in Asakusa, Tokyo. It’s on June 24th. It will commence at 6pm and conclude around 8pm.
The shops in Asakusa seem to shut earlier than they do in other areas. But even when it’s all closed up, it looks really beautiful here. Take some time after our evening performance to stroll through the streets and enjoy the echo of “Mystery” under the warm street lights.
Kodo One Earth Tour 2014: Mystery
June 21 (Sat) – 25 (Wed) at Asakusa Public Hall, Tokyo
June 21 (Sat) 16:00
June 22 (Sun) 15:00
June 23 (Mon) 15:00
June 24 (Tue) 18:00
June 25 (Wed) 14:00
Doors open 30 min. prior to each performance.
All seats reserved. General 7,000 yen, Students (aged 6-24) 3,000 yen
◆Ticket Outlets◆
tvk Ticket Counter Tel. 0570-00-3117
Asakusa Public Hall Tel. 03-3844-7491
Ticket Pia Tel. 0570-02-9999
Ticket 6 (Roku) Tel. 03-5826-0315 (English assistance available)
“Junior Member Rehearsals at Kodo Village” by Narumi Matsuda
Junior members Naoya, Shunichiro and Kengo are practising hard at Kodo Village, preparing for the Kodo “DADAN” performances in Spain and France this July. It will be their first overseas tour and their first big Kodo performance.
Currently two different casts of Kodo members are on tour in Japan, so most of Kodo’s taiko are also on the road and not many are left here for members remaining on Sado to use. So they have to practise with whatever drums & stands are available. Usually this piece is played on hirado-daiko set down on the floor, but today they are practising it up on o-daiko stands. The piece is really powerful like this, too!
You can feel that they don’t want to be beaten by their seniors nor admit self-defeat. I’m looking forward to seeing how much they grow during this rehearsal time while the other members are away.
“Performance in Kashiwazaki, Niigata” by Mitsunaga Matsuura
June 8, 2014
Performance in Kashiwazaki, Niigata
I met up with the cast and crew of “Kodo One Earth Tour: Mystery” at their Kashiwazaki performance. I hadn’t seen this team in a month, but they were all well and working hard. They received a lot of warm applause from the audience members there.
Their next performance is on June 9 in Uonuma. It’s the last performance of “Mystery” in Niigata Prefecture, so don’t miss it!
“Recording of New Piece at Kodo Village” by Narumi Matsuda
At Kodo Village, our performers recently recorded a new piece that will be used to promote the new production that debuts this November, “Kodo One Earth Tour: Eternity.” This music will accompany TV commercials for “Eternity” from fall this year. I didn’t see the recording in progress, as it was behind this firmly closed door. I hope you’re looking forward to this new production!
“Release of Promotional Video for Kodo ‘Legend'” by Kodo PR Team
A promotional video for new DVD Kodo “Legend” has just been created! This DVD is the recording of “Kodo One Earth Tour: Legend” at Asakusa Public Hall in 2013 and will go on sale on June 21.
Kodo Website | Kodo DVD “Legend” to go on sale June 21, 2014
Here is the video:
YouTube Link▼
http://youtu.be/VNBKj1Xxur0
“Kodo One Earth Tour 2014: Mystery” is currently on tour in Japan, so we hope you will enjoy “Mystery” live at a theater near you and “Legend” at home on DVD.
This DVD will go on sale on the first day of our performances in Asakusa this month, June 21, and will be available exclusively at Kodo performance venues and from the Kodo Online Store.
“Kodo’s Taiko Clinic” by Mitsunaga Matsuura
Kodo’s “Taiko Clinic” at Tokai City Bunka Center Hall on May 24
On May 24, we had Kodo’s Taiko Clinic workshops at Tokai City Bunka Center Hall in Aichi Prefecture.
Kenta Nakagome led the basics session in the morning. The participants were able to experience something very important to the Kodo members: ippatsu uchi, which means singular beats of the drum. A series of single sounds becomes a song, so he let the participants feel how big the sound gets when they relax their bodies to drum.
Mitsuru Ishizuka led the practical session in the afternoon, which focused on playing taiko as an ensemble. The participants were individuals who gathered for the workshop, but by following the shouts that Mitsuru used to lead them, their sound united and turned into a feel good rhythm.
“Thank You for Joining Us in Kyoto City!” by Kodo PR Team
“Mystery” Performances at Minami-za Kabuki Theater, Kyoto
For three days, from May 30 through June 1, we held back-to-back performances of “Kodo One Earth Tour: Mystery” at Minami-za Kabuki Theater in Kyoto. Thank you very much to everyone who came along!
The audience applauded for 5 encores! During the final one, the cast performed on the hanamichi, the long runway-like section of the stage found in Kabuki theaters.
Before the performances at Minami-za, we held special taiko workshops. Eiichi Saito was the instructor and so many people wanted to take part. The participants and the audience all got really excited by the games they played with taiko during the on-stage, pre-concert workshops.
Tomorrow, on June 4, we have a performance in Ayabe, Kyoto Prefecture. We look forward to seeing everyone there, too!
Mystery Performance at Chutan Bunka Kaikan, Ayabe, Kyoto (June 4)
http://www.kodo.or.jp/oet/20140604a_en.html
“Vocalization Practise on the One Earth Tour ” by Narumi Matsuda
On performance days, time is set aside after rehearsals for the performers to have vocalization practise together.
Since Tamasaburo Bando became Kodo’s artistic director, extra effort is going into singing instruction for the performers. The voice is easily affected by your age and the daily condition of your body, so taking the time for everyone to check their voice and focus on practising vocalization is now part of their daily routine.
Naturally the members do this each day when they have rehearsals on Sado Island, but they also have this time allocated for vocalization on tour.
Kodo One Earth Tour 2014: Mystery
“The Third Day at Sanja Matsuri” by Naomi Iseki
The Third & Final Day at Sanja Matsuri
The three portable shrines (mikoshi) kept in Asakusa Shrine were carried around the town of Asakusa all day long. I saw one of the shrines, called “Ninomiya.” It was so powerful.
The people of Asakusa really treasure this festival and I am really happy to have experienced it, little by little, as an onlooker for three days.
One of the people taking care of me said, “A festival can not be understood just by watching. You have to join in to understand the real joy of it.” These words left an impression on me.
I can’t wait for Sanja Matsuri again next year.
So, the local festival is now over and soon the Kodo Asakusa performances will begin! Please come and experience Kodo in Asakusa. We hope you will join us here this June!
[June 21-25 Kodo Asakusa Performances]
Kodo One Earth Tour 2014: Mystery