Jan. 1, 2025

New Year’s Greeting from Kodo Ensemble Leader Yuichiro Funabashi

I wish you all a very happy new year.

On behalf of Kodo, I would first of all like to offer our sincere condolences to everyone who was affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake one year ago today. Please know you are in our thoughts as you continue to deal with its after-effects.

Looking back over the past year, we were fortunate to be able to have a wide range of performances throughout Japan, overseas, and here on Sado Island. These concerts included collaborations with guest artists NAKIBEMBE EMBAIRE GROUP from Uganda who joined us at our summer festival Earth Celebration, and Korean drum (Janggu) performer Choi Jaechol who joined us for our year-end touring production, “Mountains.” When we travel, connect with people, get together, eat and play music together, we feel joy and reaffirm what’s important to us. I really felt that firsthand throughout 2024.

In the past few years, Kodo’s solo projects have been on the rise. I can see our members broadening their expressive range through these opportunities. Collaborations and exchange in different fields, such as sports, theater, and dance to name a few, invigorate and inspire us, and teach us a lot. They sometimes make us feel uneasy or scared, and can make us feel conflicted, too. But going outside your own community and putting yourself into another one creates time for you to understand your own abilities and where you are at right now. Also, you get to experience how taiko and music connect and resonate between people, showing that genres and borders pose no obstacle. These experiences bring depth to our group. If I liken Kodo to the human form, I feel these experiences serve as leg and core training, strengthening us from the ground up.

In 2025, we look forward to bringing the sound of taiko to you all, starting in mid-January with our North America tour. In recent years, we’ve been enjoying more opportunities to perform on Sado Island, too. I hope you’ll come and spend some time on the island and immerse yourself in the lifestyle and culture that surrounds us here—the place we call home, where every Kodo performance takes shape.

I hope this year is filled with joy for all of you. We will do our very best to cheer you on throughout the year with the resonant sound of our taiko.
I kindly ask for your continued guidance and encouragement.

Yuichiro Funabashi
Leader
Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble