Kodo beats with the living heart of drumming

After 30 years of performing and multiple North American tours, Kodo is already widely known as the troupe of Japanese performers with big drums and an even-bigger impact.

But those who attend either of the two shows scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday at the Byham Theater, Downtown, will see that there's a lot more to Kodo than men with drums.

Kodo bases its performances on traditional Japanese folk arts that have long been part of community festivals or rituals.

The musicians are proficient in wooden taiko drums large and small, as well as traditional Japanese flutes and stringed instruments. But the show also offers interludes of traditional dance and song.

But they're not just a group trying to preserve a dead art. Kodo means heartbeat, and the music they perform is very much a living thing. Even in the 21st century, drumming remains an integral part of community celebrations. More importantly, Kodo works to keep traditional Japanese performing arts alive.

Performances often include compositions by kabuki orchestra musicians, jazz pianists or Kodo members.

Through collaborations with artists and new composers, original compositions emerge that combine elements of jazz, Western classical or pop music.

The 10-piece program features three new works that will make their North American debut, as well as classic compositions from the Kodo repertoire.

"You'll see a little bit of contemporary musical styles, a blending of traditional and contemporary," says Kodo's company manager Jun Akimoto. "The (company) founders grew up with the Beatles and an eclectic blend of contemporary elements on top of the traditional skills they learned."

The 24 male and female performing members of Kodo all spent three years training at the group's school on Sado Island, off the west coast of Japan.

Kodo performers are required to learn everything -- dancing, singing and how to play all the musical instruments, Akimoto says.

"Through learning everything, the performer finds something specialized for him or herself," he says.

Larger drums require larger people; smaller drums may require those with faster rhythms, but everyone is required to study them, he says.

That includes women, Akimoto says.

"Female drumming performers have a unique style and ideas," he says.