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“The Beginning of the ‘Kodo Evolution’ North America Tour!” by Taro Nishita

January 30. 2019

There are thirty-three Kodo performers. They range in age from 21 to 68 years old, just like a big family.
Each of our performances has a unique cast selected from that large group. As you’d expect within a big ensemble, the members are all closer to some of their colleagues than others. However, one thing we often hear from our audience are comments about perfect coordination, synchronicity, and teamwork. So where does that come from?

Photo: Takashi Okamoto

Today is our first day of work on location for our two-month-long North America tour.
The Smith Center is a new, art-deco style theater in a redeveloped area near downtown Las Vegas. This theater hosts performances by world-class classical, jazz, and rock artists.

Photo: Takashi Okamoto
Photo: Takashi Okamoto

Still struggling with jet lag, the tour members all began unpacking their instruments, which had been shipped over from Japan. They checked the condition of all the drums and set up for the first performance, while meticulously organizing all the equipment for the long tour ahead.

Photo: Takashi Okamoto Photo: Takashi Okamoto

Lifting heavy instruments onto stands, tuning drums by tightening the heads, and choosing the position for each drum on the stage… I really notice their synchronicity and feel that sense of teamwork when I see them carry out this type of work and their various discussions and checks. These are all important team tasks at beginning of the tour.

Photo: Takashi Okamoto

The curtain is about to rise for the opening night of “Kodo One Earth Tour 2019: Evolution.”
I hope you’ll come along to experience the unique groove this particular cast creates on stage.

Photo: Takashi Okamoto
Photo: Takashi Okamoto
Photos: Takashi Okamoto

“Kodo One Earth Tour 2019: Evolution” North America Tour

Ten Fun Facts About Kodo “Evolution”

“Europe Evolution Tour Finale!” by Mio Teycheney-Takashiro

Apr. 2, 2018

After nine weeks on the road with “Evolution” throughout Europe, we held our tour finale in Moscow, Russia.

Photo: Mio Teycheney-TakashiroWe were so happy to end the tour with an audience of over 2,500 people enthusiastically yelling “Bravo!” after our performance. Thank you very much to everyone who came to see our performances in Europe over the past two months. See you all again in two years, if not before!

Photos courtesy of Mio Teycheney-Takashiro, Production Manager

Director:

Tamasaburo Bando

Cast:

“Kodo One Earth Tour 2018: Evolution” Europe Tour

“Once-in-a-Lifetime Smiles” by Hayato Otsuka

Mar. 23, 2018
Photo: Hayato Otsuka
Photo: Hayato Otsuka

We had a day off in Tallinn, the day before our performance there. It’s a lovely city with buildings dating back to the middle ages.

Photo: Ryoma Tsurumi

The town is adorned with elaborate details.
Even at the restaurants, their consideration showed through their attention to detail.

Photo: Ryoma Tsurumi

I felt fulfilled and full: my body, soul, and stomach!
Also, many people attended and enjoyed our performance.

Photo: Hayato Otsuka

After back-to-back performances in Switzerland and one performance in Estonia, today we are heading to Finland. Right now, I feel keenly aware that every trip is a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.

Photo: Mio Takashiro

From the devoted agents who have presented Kodo for many years
to the many wonderful supporters who facilitate our performances.

The audiences who welcome us with passion and enthusiasm.
The atmosphere and history of each venue.
The unique characteristics and background of each country.
The taiko and us, the performers.

All these people and elements come together for each performance and meld together to create sound each night.

Photo: Hayato Otsuka

There is nothing I take for granted, not even breathing the air in a place I visit on tour.
Each time we are on stage, a glimmering chemical reaction is created that we can only encounter right there and then.
While I sometimes feel a sense of inevitability, every time I’m on stage it never fails to feel new and wondrous.

Photo: Mayumi Hirata

For that reason, I want to always reflect on the value of each moment.
I want to continue to sense all those moments

And among those moments are the occasions when everyone smiles.

They are all once-in-a-lifetime encounters.
I will always treasure these feelings and sensations.
Photo: Ryoma Tsurumi

“Kodo One Earth Tour 2018: Evolution” Europe Tour

“Our Berlin Performance on Feb. 26” by Maya Minowa

Photo: Maya Minowa

Berlin, Germany.
The very place where Kodo made its debut 37 years ago.

Photo: Maya Minowa

Photo: Maya Minowa
That’s why Berlin is a very special place for Kodo.
On our 2018 tour, we were invited to give a performance at Berliner Philharmonie.

Photo: Maya Minowa

This hall boasts some of the world’s best acoustics. Even the sound of Japanese drums (wadaiko) resonates well here, very clearly and true to life. Good sound reached us no matter where we sat in the hall.

Photo: Maya Minowa

37 years ago, when the members of Sado no Kuni Ondekoza shifted directions and became Kodo, I wonder how they felt when they played taiko when they debuted here in Berlin.
That time of change must have been a more distressing time for those members than I could ever imagine.

From those new beginnings, Kodo’s performances have continued to evolve for decades.

I want the spirit when we face the drums, our spirit of resonance with the drums, to never change. I want to continue sharing that sound with people all over the world.

Photo: Takashi Okamoto

“Kodo One Earth Tour 2018: Evolution” Europe Tour

“Back in Magnificent Rome After Nine Years” by Eri Uchida

Mar. 10, 2018
Photo: Eri Uchida

As soon as I exited the train station, the sheer sight of this enormous structure made me tremble.
This is the Colosseum, which is estimated to hold some 70,000 spectators.

Photo: Eri Uchida
I wonder how on earth people made something like this by hand 2000 years ago, in a time without electricity or machinery. Visiting this structure, I couldn’t help but be amazed by human intelligence, strength, desire, and persistence.
Every detail was so elaborate and dynamic, from the entrance trapdoors that added interest to the spectacle, to the corridors devised throughout that let the spectators smoothly enter and exit.

Photo: Eri UchidaFights were held here, where people or animals battled to the death. I heard that people in those days were really enthusiastic about the fights, which made me wonder about people today. Are we fundamentally different from people back then? It’s a bit scary to think about that.

For me, it was my first visit to Rome since 2009 when I was on my first tour with Kodo, a summer European festival tour. Although I spent a week in Rome then, due to my terrible hay fever and all my first tour nerves, I only ventured out once for sightseeing to visit the Vatican City. Nevertheless, I have profound memories of that visit to Rome such as our rehearsals with A Filetta for EC 2010 and the performances of “Mono-Prism” with Santa Cecilia Symphony Orchestra.

Photo: Eri Uchida
I remembered that back in 2009 I thought this hall looked unbelievably gigantic. I recall feeling proud as I watched the Kodo members selected to play Mono-Prism, but at the same time I felt frightened about appearing on that stage myself.

Photo: Eri Uchida

This time, I sat in the empty audience seats while we were setting up and looked at the stage. It seemed much smaller than last time and that felt strange.

However, when our performance began, the full house was filled with energy and it absorbed our sound, so the furtherest seats felt very far away during the performance.

Photo: Eri UchidaIn this huge arena, every member of our cast did their very best. We received a standing ovation at the end of the performance, a sign that the audience was pleased by our efforts.
We had all spent our day off before the performance sightseeing all over Rome, and it was as if the inspiration of what we had seen turned into powerful energy on stage. I’m already looking forward to the day I can return to Rome and its colossal structures.
Next, we are off to Milan for two performances back to back!

 

“Kodo One Earth Tour 2018: Evolution” Europe Tour

 


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