KODO IN OKAYAMA

December 15, 2007

Tonight I saw my second Kodo performance in the past three days, this time in Okayama. Before the show, I ran into Gen Matsui, one of the managers of Kodo. He actually approached me; I was surprised he had remembered me. He had shown me around Kodo Village on Sado about a month back. I told him that I had gone to the previous performance in Hiroshima, and he really liked the idea that I was following Kodo’s tour this week. It was great to see a familiar face.

Although I had much better seats tonight, I will admit that I did not like this venue as much as the one in Hiroshima. While it was nice to have a more intimate setting, the venue was almost too small, as the sound of the drums was so loud that, at certain points of the concert, the back walls were rattling!

This did not affect the quality of the show, though; and I am sure I am just being a little nit-picky. And actually, now that I think about the idea that the drums, that are acoustic and thus have no electronic amplification, could be so loud they shake a concert hall, that’s pretty cool!

While there were certain numbers that I enjoyed more so tonight, particularly “Hana-Hachijo,” the song with the three players performing many stick-tricks, I think that the show in Hiroshima was a bit more fluid. Again, I’m just being fussy, as it was a really awesome show.

The program for the “Trans-Border 2007 December Concert Series,” written Kodo Artistic Director Jun Akimoto, asserts that Kodo, “at times stays true to our roots, and at times makes a break with the past in order to realize new expressions.” Most importantly, the group affirms that, “‘Tradition’ is not a constant. Rather, it is a formidable force that evolves to survive the passage of time.”

I couldn’t agree any more with that maxim: it is so important that, in every aspect of life, we stay true to our heritage but always be looking forward to the future. Contemporary and classical do not have to be antonymous: perhaps the greatest example of this idea is with The Beatles, as their producer, George Martin, often included traditional string arrangements with their innovative “rock” music.

Jun Akimoto also writes that Kodo strives to “explore new creative territory through song and dance, two expressions that are inextricably linked to the drum and help realize its full potential.” Because Kodo refuses to be tethered to tradition, there are limitless creative musical possibilities for the group.