Four members of the sixteen strong Kodo Taiko orchestra stood before us, dwarfed in number by those gathered to watch a preview of their up and coming Eternity tour. Beautifully outfitted in the costumes from their last tour, Mystery, the group seemed unperturbed by the noisy chatter and inquisitive looks of their audience and happily spoke amongst themselves as they awaited their cue.
Masayuki Sakamoto, the group’s leader, started the performance. With the first strike of his drum, the audience was stilled, the cacophony of our voices giving way to the rhythmic symphony of their Taiko. Three of the group, muscles straining, led the piece, crescendoing wildly before dropping suddenly as the fourth member, Kosuke Urushikubo, leapt forward dramatically, striking a soulful melody on his flute in stark contrast to the deep timbre of the Taiko drums.
It is this flair for the dramatic that Kodo has been working on with their artistic director, Tamasaburo Bando. A Japanese national treasure, Tamasaburo has been working with the group since 2012 and has so far acted as artistic director for two of Kodo’s shows: Legend and Mystery. Eternity is Tamasaburo’s third and upcoming work with Kodo and seeks to express ‘mankind’s glimpse of eternity in nature’ through the exposition of dawn, rain, light, wind, clouds, waves, stars, dusk and night.
Eternity is thus set to be one of Kodo’s most dramatic tours to date, intertwining music, visual art and movement across the stage to create a bold and innovative expression of the Taiko art form. Eternity’s music was composed by the group in collaboration with Tamasaburo over the course of three months in the lead up to the tour, and draws upon these visions of nature and eternity to create brilliant arrangements across the orchestra’s wide range of instruments and voices. Likewise, a new series of costumes has been designed especially for the Eternity tour, which draw on these themes to add to the show’s visual spectacle.
While Kodo tours internationally, their winter tour of Japan is set to be a special one as they perform to a home crowd who understand Taiko not only for its skill and artistry, but for the cultural significance it possesses. In contrast to western audiences who wait patiently for pieces to end before showing their appreciation, Kodo’s Japanese audiences go wild with appreciation throughout each piece and make the performance’s atmosphere even more special.
Taiko is a distinctly Japanese art form and a must see for anyone to wishes to explore Japanese music. Kodo’s Eternity tour is a rare opportunity to see Taiko at its best, performed by one of Japan’s most unique musical groups in the very heart of Fukuoka.
Still not convinced? Watch this clip from Kodo’s Mystery tour to get a better understanding of the treat you’re in for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_BHh_OyRVs
Report and text by Oscar Boyd
Kodo One Earth Tour 2014: Eternity
Hakataza Theater, Fukuoka City
Dec.15 (Mon) Doors: 15.30 Start: 16.00
Dec.16 (Tue) Doors: 10.30 Start. 11.00
Tickets: A-seats: ¥8,000; Special B-seats: ¥7,500; B-seats: ¥6,000; C-seats; ¥4,000
Inquiries: Hakataza Theater Reservation Center. Tel: 092-263-5555 (10.00~18.00)
