March to the beat of Kodo's Japanese drums

They live communally in an old schoolhouse on a nearly forgotten island off the coast of Japan, working for two years for the chance to play drums around the world.

If they’re good, they get another year to prove themselves.

Then, and only then, do Sado Island apprentices stand a chance of being chosen to play for Kodo, a Japanese musical group known for explosive, thunderous “taiko” drumming.

Kodo will perform Tuesday in Mesa.

Its current crop of performers — 17 men and eight women ranging from 21 to 57 years old — use a variety of traditional Japanese drums, including the hefty O-daiko, a taiko drum made from the trunk of an African Bubinga tree and the hide of a large cow that weighs, with its stand, 882 pounds.

The performance centers on masterful drumming painstakingly perfected through spartan life and stringent rehearsals in their island village. But other traditional Japanese musical instruments, such as “fue,” or flute, and “shamisen,” a stringed instrument, are used in the show.

There are also dances and vocal performances during the 100-minute show.

The group, credited with putting Japanese percussion on the global musical map, is on a 29-city North American tour through March.

Kodo
What: Legendary Japanese drum ensemble Kodo brings its giant taiko drums to Mesa.
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St.
Cost: $34-$66
Information: (480) 644-6500 or www.mesaartscenter.com

By: Mandy Zajac