Recommended
I don't usually plug things on this blog but let's make an exception for Kodo, Japan’s famous taiko (drum) ensemble that blows me away with every performance. The Japanese word "Kodo" means both "heartbeat" and "children of the drum" - very apt :-). I first heard about them in Michael Palin's travel program "Full Circle" (1997) and was immediately intrigued by the troupe's ascetic lifestyle and their amazing commitment to the drum. Apprentices train for two years and live communally in a remote part of the stormy Sado Island, in an old schoolhouse without heating or air conditioning - much like monks. They rise each day at 5 a.m., run six miles, work in the garden, and study traditional drumming, singing, drama and the tea ceremony. Waw! I guess it's this mix of athleticism, creativity and spirituality that makes their concerts so electrifying, with drum playing intertwined with cymbals, flute, singing and dance performances. As one commentator waxed lyrically: "Kodo creates an intense blend of rhythm, movement and pageantry... you don't just listen to taiko drumming, you feel it moving through you, nothing compares to it". I couldn't have expressed this better - their artistic sensibility and their seemingly super-human strength and stamina left me in awe when Vaughan and I caught a performance in Tokyo last year. So when I found out Kodo was coming to Fukuoka I immediately decided to treat my good friend Yasuko to a ticket (an early birthday present). She left the theater this Tuesday in the same state I did: blown away, energised, and very keen to catch their next Earth Tour!
This is the King of taiko drums: the O-daiko, an enormous drum carved from a single huge tree trunk and played with clubs the size of baseball bats. Watching a tiny, lean Japanese man pound on this thing for up to 15 minutes is a sight to behold!
I don't usually plug things on this blog but let's make an exception for Kodo, Japan’s famous taiko (drum) ensemble that blows me away with every performance. The Japanese word "Kodo" means both "heartbeat" and "children of the drum" - very apt :-). I first heard about them in Michael Palin's travel program "Full Circle" (1997) and was immediately intrigued by the troupe's ascetic lifestyle and their amazing commitment to the drum. Apprentices train for two years and live communally in a remote part of the stormy Sado Island, in an old schoolhouse without heating or air conditioning - much like monks. They rise each day at 5 a.m., run six miles, work in the garden, and study traditional drumming, singing, drama and the tea ceremony. Waw! I guess it's this mix of athleticism, creativity and spirituality that makes their concerts so electrifying, with drum playing intertwined with cymbals, flute, singing and dance performances. As one commentator waxed lyrically: "Kodo creates an intense blend of rhythm, movement and pageantry... you don't just listen to taiko drumming, you feel it moving through you, nothing compares to it". I couldn't have expressed this better - their artistic sensibility and their seemingly super-human strength and stamina left me in awe when Vaughan and I caught a performance in Tokyo last year. So when I found out Kodo was coming to Fukuoka I immediately decided to treat my good friend Yasuko to a ticket (an early birthday present). She left the theater this Tuesday in the same state I did: blown away, energised, and very keen to catch their next Earth Tour!
This is the King of taiko drums: the O-daiko, an enormous drum carved from a single huge tree trunk and played with clubs the size of baseball bats. Watching a tiny, lean Japanese man pound on this thing for up to 15 minutes is a sight to behold!
1 comment:
amaai! Zo gespierd!! Tot morgen Inge! Momenteel wat problemen met onze skype, maar we kunnen proberen. Anders bel ik je zo op!
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