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Kodo Drummers keep the Taiko tradition pounding

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Times-Standard, Kodo Drummers keep the Taiko tradition pounding >>

The very first time that I heard the thunderous power of Taiko was at the Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco in the late 1990's. Every April, the festival takes place in the City's Japantown district; the neighborhood is replete with vivid colors, swirls of wonderful traditional decorations amidst a flurry of people, smiles, and exquisite food.

”Taiko” simply translates to “drum” in the Japanese language. The instrument has a rich and complex history -- most notably, Taiko was the main vehicle in the pomp and circumstance of warfare, serving as rhythmic motivation for troops as well as an elaborate communication device to underscore the calling out of orders for movements of massive battalions of soldiers.

Nowadays, Taiko playing is mostly ceremonial. Either way, the sound is bone-rattling at its best. They can be played as a solo instrument or as part of a large group; personally, I enjoy hearing multiple drums going at once, creating a visceral wave of intense energy. There is nothing else quite like it; the simultaneous pounding creates a palpable wave of sound--at times it can seem menacing and foreboding, while other times the continuous cacophony wraps up your body into a large tone poem.

Kodo is the premiere purveyor of the art of Taiko; they are known around the globe for keeping its spirit, history, and rich sound alive. Their 2009 One Earth Tour began

on Jan. 28. Only 29 cities have the awesome privilege of hosting them and Arcata is on that list.

CenterArts will open up its doors to this influential group on Monday, Feb. at the Van Duzer Theatre. The show is going to be a knockout. Expect a tremendous and visceral sound experience filled with both traditional sounds a little bit of funk thrown in for good measure.

The history of Kodo is as mysterious as the drums themselves. In fact, its place of origin is even more mysterious. The group began on Sado Island, which is located off Japan's northwest coast and is relatively the size of Okinawa. In the eighth century, Sado Island became Japan's one-stop-shop for exiles, where miscreants, undesirables, criminals, and all sorts of scum and villainy were deposited. From the very dynamic and diverse population grew a whole new type of civilization. Just like any burgeoning society (even with a larger share of deviants and other assorted rebellious types) the island soon became its own nation complete with a complex history and culture.

The Kodo group formed on the island more than 20 years ago in celebration of the sacred sounds of Taiko. In the 1960's and 70's, inhabitants of the island hungered for expression and began to revive ancient Japanese practices from all corners of the arts from song, dance, to live theatre. Naturally, it was only a matter of time to rediscover and rejuvenate the sound of Taiko which became Kodo's mission statement. The group debuted in 1981 at the Berlin Festival and has given over 3,100 performances on all five continents since that fateful day.

There are some musical and performance experiences that are truly and completely unique. Kodo is one of these. You may not find another chance to see and hear the extraordinary power of Taiko -- well, unless you are lucky enough to be in San Francisco for the Cherry Blossom Festival. However, this performance is a golden opportunity to close your eyes and let wave after wave of glorious rhythm wash over you.
- Allen Amundsen

 01/29/09 >> go there
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