KODO VILLAGE
Since its inception, the founders of Kodo have nurtured a dream of establishing an artistic community in the wild surroundings of Sado. Amongst some of the most beautiful landscape in Japan, the island is a treasure house of Japanese performing arts with a living tradition of drumming, dancing and theatre. Throughout Japanese history, the island has also been a home for exiles, from political prisoners and convicts to the founder of the Noh theatre, and it was here that Kodo laid plans for a haven where Japan's traditional arts could not just be preserved but kept alive and developing.
After more than a decade of living in a converted schoolhouse, the group finally obtained 25 acres of thickly-forested land on the Ogi peninsula in the southern part of the island, and in 1988 the opening ceremony of the village was held. In keeping with Kodo's dedication to preserving traditional arts, the first structure, the main office building, was reassembled from the timbers of a 200 year-old farmhouse that was sheduled for demolition. It has now been extended and includes communal cooking and dining areas as well as a library devoted to world music and dance. Since then, a reception building (also a reassembled farmhouse), a dormitory building, a studio and most recently a magnificent new rehearsal hall have been added. In addition to these main communal buildings, married members of the group have been building family homes on surrounding land.
Looking to the future, Kodo envisions the village as being not just a home base for its touring activites but a centre for a wider range of artistic activites and an essential part of its plans to provide opportunities for artists of the world to meet and understand each other.
THE HISTORY OF TAIKO
Although its exact origins are unknown, taiko is believed to have originated on the Asian continent. Historical and anthropological references to taiko in Japan date back as early as the sixth century, while artifacts and depictions of drums throughout Asia date back as far as 3,000 B.C. Indeed, with the exception of the human voice, drums are the earliest musical instruments produced by any civilization throughout history.
Within the Japanese culture, taiko holds a significant place as a means of summoning the gods, driving away evil spirits, frightening away enemies, and setting the geographic boundaries of villages since all citizens were expected to stay within earshot of the local drum. In more recent times, taiko has become an essential element of the performing arts in Japan, as Imperial Court music, and as sound effects for Noh drama and Kabuki theater. In contemporary Japan, the renaissance of taiko has served as an important means of preserving cultural tradition.
TAIKO BASICS
The Japanese word taiko means both the drum and the drumming style. As with all Japanese art forms, the spiritual elements are essential. Taiko drumming has four basic elements: Rei....Customary Etiquette, Waza.....Action, Kokoro.....Spirit, and Karada.....Strength. As a group, the taiko drummers strive for unison and harmony, using the drumstick as an extension of the self to transfer and translate spiritual energy into sound.
There are many different kinds of taiko drums, which can be categorized into two basic types: taiko with a nailed head, and taiko with heads stretched over a hoop and tensioned with ropes for tuning the sound. The drum heads are usually made of cowhide, and the bodies are traditionally carved from the rare and increasingly scarce wood of the zelkova tree.
Each individual drum produces seven different sounds, and, as with any musical group, each taiko drumming group has its own unique style and sound. In practice sessions, students learn both modern and traditional drum-songs, as well as the choreography which accompanies each piece. Although memorization of the drum-song is necessary, much of taiko drumming performance is based upon verbal cues from the group leader.
THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF TAIKO DRUMMING
To anyone who has ever witnessed a taiko performance, its benefits are obvious. In addition to the aerobic workout and muscle toning provided by the vigorous upper body movements and lower body stances, drumming is an excellent way to release stress, tension, and pent-up emotions. Additionally, the psychological benefits of joining with a group for a shared purpose of such a transcendental nature can be deeply gratifying and uplifting. With its Zen-like approach to ever higher levels of mastery, taiko offers an especially valuable opportunity for spiritual growth.
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