Kodo Performance – Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble

“Kodo Sado Island Performances in Shukunegi 2022” by Jun Jidai

melanie — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 02:17:56 +0000

Kodo’s annual performances in Shukunegi first began in 2012, back when I was still a Kodo apprentice. The apprentices all joined the Kodo members, staff, and Shukunegi locals to get ready for the performances and it felt like creating something together from square one: spring cleaning the hall, hanging the back drops, cutting down bamboo and using it to put up the concert flags.

Kodo now has a decade’s worth of experiences at this place, and I feel so happy that we’re back here again this year.

There is so much going on right now all over the world, and here in Japan. It feels like we’re living our usual daily lives with chaos either close by, or all around us.

It makes me think…what can we do as taiko players?
What should artists share in times like these?

Tomorrow is uncertain, but I’ve made it to tomorrow each day thus far. So I want to keep creating and expressing myself as an artist, giving my all each day.

I want to express what it means to be born in this era, and what I’m doing with Kodo now.

I want to turn that into power that helps get us all through to “tomorrow” again.

I want to take all the moments when I laugh and feel excited and deeply moved, and pack them all into this performance with along with my gratitude.

I sincerely hope that our performances bring the joy of spring and the sounds of Shukunegi to many people.

Kodo Sado Island Performances in Shukunegi (2022)

Apr 29 (Fri)–May 7 (Sat), 2022 Shukunegi Community Hall, Ogi Peninsula, Sado Island, Niigata

Dates & Times

Apr 29 (Fri) 14:30　[O-daiko: Yoshikazu Fujimoto]
Apr 30 (Sat) 11:00　[O-daiko: Tomohiro Mitome]
Apr 30 (Sat) 14:30　[O-daiko: Yoshikazu Fujimoto]
May 1 (Sun) 11:00　[O-daiko: Tomohiro Mitome]
May 2 (Mon) DARK
May 3 (Tue) 14:30　[O-daiko: Yoshikazu Fujimoto]
May 4 (Wed) 11:00　[O-daiko: Tomohiro Mitome]
May 4 (Wed) 14:30　[O-daiko: Yoshikazu Fujimoto]
May 5 (Thu) 11:00　[O-daiko: Tomohiro Mitome]
May 6 (Fri) DARK
May 7 (Sat) 11:00　[O-daiko: Yoshikazu Fujimoto]
May 7 (Sat) 14:30　[O-daiko: Tomohiro Mitome]

Kodo Sado Island Performances in Shukunegi (2022)

#kodofebfilmfest

melanie — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 08:32:22 +0000

Enjoy Kodo at your place throughout February via a range of streaming platforms!

This month, there’s an exclusive lineup of online content on offer hosted by organizations in Japan and abroad.
We hope you’ll enjoy these Kodo performances and talks at your place!
Spread the word and share your watch party pictures and feedback with us using this hashtag:

#kodofebfilmfest

・Feb. 3–Mar. 7: Watch Kodo “Tsuzumi” on Selected Japanese Streaming Services in February –Pay to view/Kodo Performance (3-part)
・Feb. 5–Feb. 28: New Audiovisual Work by Filmmaker Toshiaki Toyoda “Shiver” by Ettō—Featuring Koshiro Hino and Kodo —Pay to view/Collaborative Performance
・From Feb. 13 for 72 hours: Kodo at Duke Performances Virtual Concert Series: The Show Must Go Online! —Pay to view/Kodo Performance
・All February: Kodo Heartbeat Radio episodes available on YouTube —Free to view/Japanese talk shows
・All February: Japan Live Yell Project—Niigata Prefectural Culture Festival Special Talk Series Part 3–6 (Part 1, Part 2 out now!)—Free to view/Japanese talk shows

Coming Up in Japan!

Kodo 40th Anniversary Concert Series
Kodo One Earth Tour 2021: Tsuzumi
Feel the reverberations of heaven and earth in harmony.

May–July 2021 Tour Information in English coming soon.

“Excited to Share ‘Michi’ with You!” by Yuichiro Funabashi

melanie — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 08:38:19 +0000

It’s April and in Japan that means the start of a new business and school year. I’m sure many of you have had a fresh start in a new environment this month.

We’ve recently finished our North America “Evolution” tour and Interactive Performances in Japan and returned to Sado Island. Right now, we are busy preparing for our upcoming tours and concerts this spring, as well as future works.

From May, we’re going to be touring with “Kodo One Earth Tour 2019: Michi” throughout Japan for the rest of the year.

It’s going to be a soul-stirring, invigorating two-hour program featuring Kodo standards such as Monochrome, Miyake, O-daiko, and Yatai-bayashi. As director, I’ve also included some of my favorite classics like The Hunted and HITOTSU, and we’ve created some brand new numbers, too!

We’ve reworked and refined the content since last year, and we are already looking forward to seeing it evolve with each performance on tour.

The cast ranges from senior to junior Kodo members who all bring their own unique sound and energy to the stage. I really hope you’ll come along to see “Michi” at one of the many theaters on our tour to experience this rousing program firsthand.

“Kodo One Earth Tour 2019: Michi” Japan Tour

Schedule

[Kodo MEGURU] “Miyake” by Kenta Nakagome

melanie — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 08:52:45 +0000

Naturally, I have a real soft spot for playing O-daiko (the big drum).
But recently, I realized that Miyake (Miyake Taiko) is also very important to me.

Back when I had just become a Kodo member, I made it on to my first big tour because I was given the chance to play Miyake. For a time back then, all I played was Miyake and I didn’t practice anything else, which meant I didn’t get to perform much else.

Perhaps I realized that when I was playing a Miyake solo, I could let myself “explode,” let myself go wild.

When I was new to the group and couldn’t do anything well, Tomohiro [Mitome] and Yosuke [Oda] used Miyake as a tool to open my eyes.

Later on, there was a time when I felt a sense of failure, and wasn’t sure which way to turn. Kazu (Kazuhiro Tsumura) from Miyake-jima Geino Doshikai, who was in the same Kodo apprentice cohort as I, said “Come on, let’s play Miyake together.” And with that invitation, I went to see the Tsumura family. While I was there, drumming like crazy, I started to feel better, and more and more positive.

I also felt reawakened by the Tsumuras’ explosive sound.

Anytime I am not feeling good physically, playing Miyake makes me feel better again.

And anytime something new is about to begin, the chance for me to play Miyake seems to arise out of nowhere.

I heard Yuta [Sumiyoshi] was going to direct a production for the first time. He said to me , “Let’s do something together,” and he asked me to arrange and play a new arrangement of Miyake. That arrangement became a whole new piece, Saien, which we created as our own take on Miyake.

When I look back on my journey, taiko has trained me and guided me to where I am today.

I feel fresh and new as we create this brand new work, “MEGURU,” but at the same time I can feel Miyake on my mind and in my bones.

Photos: Takashi Okamoto, Heday Masuda, Erika Ueda

MEGURU (Japan Tour)

Schedules

[Kodo MEGURU] Message from Director Yuta Sumiyoshi

melanie — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 04:26:18 +0000

I am so happy to share Kodo’s new production “MEGURU” with audiences throughout Japan this month and next.
MEGURU means to revolve or come full circle. Based on that theme, I carefully crafted this programme from all new pieces, each created with a focus on conjuring scenery with sound.

All things in nature loop, there are no exceptions.
The sun and moon, water and life, they all revolve without exception.
All things that begin come to an end, then begin again. Beyond space and time, over and over again.
This phenomenon extends to spiritual things, too, such as souls and people’s feelings.

Such cycles have turned for thousands of years, and perhaps the tales people hand down through time have influenced us unknowingly.
I’ve come to think that if people from different countries or cultures can imagine scenery in the same way, then an individual’s own memories or knowledge aren’t the only things that shape their perceptions.

So, what do we have in common?

Throughout time, I think we humans have always sought an understanding of the senses shared by all human beings, and this pursuit has continually led us into contact with the arts.
There are various artistic activities, such as art and music, but none of them are necessities for humans to live their lives.
Even so, humans throughout time have foregone sleep to draw pictures and to create music.

I too have moments when I only want to create music.
I get this feeling of wanting to give shape to something that lies somewhere within me.

I want to hear my soul’s voice.

That kind of impulse is like a tale in itself that has come around and around again. It’s also what I want to depict through this work.

I hope MEGURU will take us on a journey together in pursuit of that soul, a journey that circles imaginary scenery evoked by Kodo’s sound.
We will cherish each and every sound as we perform to facilitate this quest with our audience.

MEGURU (Japan Tour)

Schedules

[Kodo Next Generation] “Merci!” by Mio Teycheney-Takashiro

melanie — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 06:01:12 +0000

July 23, 2018

Our two-week-long residence at Théâtre du Soleil has flown by and our final performance is over.

Thanks to everyone’s support we welcomed full houses every day, in fact it was more than full on the final day with over forty people on the waitlist. So, we invited those people in to sit in the aisles and on extra benches so they didn’t miss out.

When the curtain call rolled around, we saw many members of the Theatre gathered alongside the seating area. During our encore number, they looked like they were having a great time dancing and embracing each other.

I am truly happy that we were able to carry out this performance series in Paris with the warm support of so many people.

I am writing this post the day after the finale. Today we have been packing our instruments and bags, tidying up, and cleaning. While I am feeling grateful for the wonderful time we have had here, I also feel sad knowing that our stay at Théâtre du Soleil is about to end.

Both the cast and production staff for “Kodo Next Generation” are young, so my role was to support them. I watched over them every day.

They are the next generation of Kodo and they are brimming with passion, energy, and joy. I feel that the future is in good hands. This residence with them in Paris was an exciting, valuable experience for all of us.

The time we all spent at this utopia, Théâtre du Soleil, is like a precious seed. I am already looking forward to seeing the fruit it bears in the years to come.

Lastly, on behalf of Kodo, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude and respect to Ariane Mnouchkine of Théâtre du Soleil for inviting “Kodo Next Generation” to France.
Merci beaucoup!!!

Mio Teycheney-Takashiro, Production Manager

Kodo Next Generation (France)

“Kodo is Off to Egypt for the First Time!” by Kodai Yoshida

melanie — Wed, 07 Feb 2018 05:30:07 +0000

Feb. 2, 2018

Just when I thought the extreme cold wave had ended, I heard that much of Sado Island was now without water. It’s been chaotic here for many days. Amidst trying circumstances, we have been rehearsing at Kodo Village for our upcoming Egypt performances. It will be Kodo’s first time to perform there and when we arrive in Egypt, that will mark the 50th country Kodo where has performed to date.
Director Tomohiro Mitome is leading the cast of nine for these performances. You wouldn’t think it was just nine people by the number of pieces and rich content. Tomohiro said to us, “It’s a tough program, but let’s enjoy ourselves.” And with that, our rehearsals began.

The cast features a lot of young performers, so while the rehearsals were very lively, they also made us reaffirm that we have our work cut out for us each time we appear on stage.

We had a tight rehearsal schedule with only one week to practice. The stage manager, Kazuki Imagai, who is a former Kodo performer, told us that, “Even if there is no time, you still have to do everything properly.” The senior Kodo members gave us strict, clear instructions and our rehearsals steadily progressed.

I have been practicing hard as I imagine the unknown land where I am heading. It’ll be everyone’s first time visiting Egypt. I wonder what awaits us over there…

Feb. 9 (Fri) & 11 (Sun), 2018 Kodo Select Ensemble Appearance in “Japanese Drums Concert” (Egypt)

“Shishi Hair Whip” by Kengo Watanabe

melanie — Sat, 09 Sep 2017 06:37:42 +0000

When I joined Kodo, I never imagined I would be given the chance to wear kumadori stage makeup or perform the traditional hair whip (kefuri) shown in the photo above! When I appear on stage in the role of shishi (beast), I perform each and every hair whip with great care.

Photo: Takashi Okamoto

Tamasaburo Bando x Kodo Special Performance “Yugen” (Japan)

“Getting Ready for Our ‘EC 30th Anniversary Celebration Concert'” by Jun Jidai

melanie — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 06:42:49 +0000

Hi, everyone! It’s Jun Jidai.
How are you doing?

Earth Celebration 2017 is just around the corner! Chihiro Watanabe and I will be the MCs at the “EC 30th Anniversary Celebration Concert” on Aug. 20, the final day of EC. We don’t usually chat with the audience when we appear on stage with Kodo, but we will do our very best to entertain everyone with our banter at this outdoor performance!

Also…guess what! All the members of Kodo are going to appear on stage during this performance! That is so rare, believe me!

The cast ranges in age from 20 through to 66 years old. We’re going to drum, dance, and sing our hearts out. Mitsuru Ishizuka has created a great setlist for your enjoyment.

Please join us this weekend for this one-night-only performance. We’re waiting for you all, drumming everyday on Sado to get ready for all the performances!

See you there!