Ahhhhhhhhhhhhaaa yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhh… Have tickets for tomorrow night’s performance of the Kodo Drummers of Japan[sup]*[/sup] at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. I’ve caught them once before years ago at DAR in DC so I know what I’m in for — this will be Mrs. Dvl’s first time seeing them.
I’ve been playing African percussion for years, and there is a fair amount of precision involved in maintaining polyrhythms, and a lot of athleticism on the dancer’s part. I’ve had the good fortune to play and learn from Baba Olatunji and Mamady Keita. Nothing. Hands down nothing comes close to the Kodo Drummers.
The downside is that I’ll be up until around three this morning clearing the decks to get out of here but it will be sooooo worth it.
If anyone has yet to see them — check out their upcoming tour (US and Europe) to find dates and go. I don’t care if you’re a flutist, violinist, kazooist, or all you can do is turn on an iPod: if you have ears, you must go.
Oooh, nice. I love taiko drumming; I’ve only gotten around to seeing it live a few times (and never Kodo yet, unfortunately), but every time so far it’s just blown me away. It’s one of the few musical experiences that also feels like a high-intensity chest massage. Getting close seats is imperative.
I was in my school’s taiko club for two years and I was able to see them back in 2004 at Western Michigan University. It was totally worth the money and you will be amazed at the songs, movements, and the sheer physical power of the drummers. It was amazing!
What puts them over the top isn’t the massive sized drums they face (I really need to learn the names), but the smaller (hah), well, oversized dununba-like drums. About four or five feet in diameter, played with their legs flat on the ground, but their upper body in a half-situp and arms making full movements. Maintaining such a level of physical stamina and playing to precision is awe-inspiring.
they are awesome. i try to see them anytime they get into town. you leave the show humming.
i find the fellow using the “louisville slugger” on the odaiko amusing. he swings it around his head and then BAM and you feel that bam in every bit of your body.
there is the added bonus of the drummers not wearing much.
I remember seeing this documentary a few years ago. The passages while they’re in training on the island were fascinating - the whole thing about eating with the ‘wrong’ hand to even out their strokes just astonished me.
I saw them in Seattle in January. I’ve seen them before but this time I wanted to drag my husband along because I know he’d love it. We went with some friends who have their own taiko drumming group (and make their own drums!).
We had to joke about how the bigger the drums got, the naked-er the drummer. There was also a speaker before the show who held a Q&A session about the group’s training & history.
when they to the sit up thing it is amazing. there is a martial arts look to a lot of the drumming moves and poses. the half- situp one has “ready, set” moves that look very much like a martial art set, then full out drumming.
you see every muscle group and really understand the training and stamina they have. some of the pieces are 5-20 minutes long!
TAIKO is some of the coolest drumming in the WORLD. We have a Japanese immersion school here in Anchorage and they teach taiko to adults. I tried, and failed. I may try again!
There have been two taiko troupes through Anchorage in the last 11 years, I think. The first was Ondekoza and they were beyond awesome …
I’ve never seen this particular group, but there was a Taiko drum group here this summer at our local arts festival. It is, indeed, very impressive, and the strokes are, indeed, based on martial arts moves.