Misplaced Pages

#381618

22-427: Although taiko are the primary instrument in their performances, other traditional Japanese musical instruments such as fue and shamisen make an appearance on stage as do traditional dance and vocal performance. Kodō's repertoire includes pieces based on the traditional rhythms of regional Japan, pieces composed for Kodō by contemporary songwriters, and pieces written by Kodō members themselves. Since their debut at

44-617: A bamboo called shinobue . The most popular of the fue is the shakuhachi . Fue are traditionally broken up into two basic categories – the transverse flute and the end-blown flute . Transverse flutes are held to the side, with the musician blowing across a hole near one end; end-blown flutes are held vertically and the musician blows into one end. The earliest fue may have developed from pitch pipes known as paixiao in Chinese . The gabachi instrument eventually made its way over to Japan from China in

66-513: A chamber or large ensemble of the instruments. Japanese fue include many different varieties of Japanese flute, including the following: Bamboo flute The bamboo flute , especially the bone flute, is one of the oldest musical instruments known. Examples of Paleolithic bone flutes have survived for more than 40,000 years, to be discovered by archaeologists. While the oldest flutes currently known were found in Europe, Asia too has

88-575: A long history with the instrument that has continued into the present day. In China, a playable bone flute was discovered, about 9000 years old. Historians have found the bamboo flute has a long history as well, especially China and India. Flutes made history in records and artworks starting in the Zhou dynasty . The oldest written sources reveal the Chinese were using the kuan (a reed instrument) and hsio (or xiao, an end-blown flute , often of bamboo) in

110-531: A masculine component to the Kodō's performance. After their performance at the 1984 Olympics, Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Herald wrote, "Glistening back muscles of a sweaty loin-clothed drummer are strikingly lit as he strikes the great o-daiko (large taiko ) with massive sticks in a performance as much athletic as it is musical." There are three organizations that handle Kodō's activities. Kitamaesen

132-515: A staff of 12. Apprentices and part-time workers included, there are about 100 persons involved in Kodō or its related organizations. Apprentices who hope to be performers spend two years living and training together communally in a converted school on Sado Island. After this period, apprentices who have been selected to become junior, probationary members spend one more year training and practicing in which they may be selected to become full members of Kodō. Originally, Kodō members lived separately from

154-788: A year and do not require any background in drumming. The non-profit Kodō Cultural Foundation was established in 1997, and three years later, they founded the Kodō Arts Sphere America organization in North America. This organization started to present workshop tours in 2003. Kodō is arguably the most well-known and respected taiko group worldwide and has been considered an ambassador group for taiko performance outside Japan. One component of their reputation stems from their training regimen, which at one time, included long distance running twice daily. A report on Kodō's training in 1989 stated that their approach had been toned down, but

176-455: Is a collection of buildings intended for Kodō's management and tour staff, and represents their headquarters. The Village is situated in Ogi on the southern part of Sado Island. Construction of these buildings began in the mid 1980s. The first building, an administrative center, was completed in 1988, and by 1992, a rehearsal hall, a dormitory, and a reception house were also constructed. Originally,

198-586: Is intended to show flutes made of bamboo. It excludes pan flutes or panpipes, and flutes and whistles that don't have finger positions to change notes. It also excludes pipes that use reeds to produce the sound. Bamboo is a grass, and some "cane" or "reed" flutes may get listed here, as long as the plant is being used for a tube that is blown into or across to create noise. Types of flutes include transverse flutes (also called cross flutes), end-blown flutes (ring flutes are included with these) and Nose flutes . Fipple flutes , also called duct flutes, may be added to

220-554: Is managed by the city of Sado and the Kodō Cultural Foundation. Kodō had three sold out performances at the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival in Los Angeles , a 10-week event which preceded the 1984 Summer Olympics . In 1989, the group held its first drum workshop, referred to as Kodō Juku which includes introducing their training regiment and their approach to taiko performance. These workshops are held up to four times

242-586: Is the corporate that manages member salaries, employment, tour booking, and is a general managing entity. Otodaiku manages group copyrights, the development and sale of musical instruments used in Kodō's performance, and the group's recordings. The group's non-profit activities, such as the Sado Island Taiko Center ( 佐渡太鼓体験交流館 , Sado Taiko Taiken Kōryūkan ) are organized under the Kodo Cultural Foundation . Kodō Village

SECTION 10

#1732787482382

264-491: The 12th-11th centuries b.c., followed by the chi (or ch'ih) in the 9th century b.c. and the yüeh in the 8th century b.c. Of these, the chi is the oldest documented cross flute or transverse flute , and was made from bamboo. The Chinese have a word, zhudi , which literally means "bamboo flute." The cross flute (Sanscrit: vāṃśī) was "the outstanding wind instrument of ancient India," according to Curt Sachs. He said that religious artwork depicting "celestial music" instruments

286-816: The 3rd International Visual Music Festival in Cannes in 1994, as well as the Japanese Foreign Ministry Award noting their cultural contributions through the Earth Celebration event on Sado Island. They were also the recipient of the Matsuo Performing Arts Award for Japanese Music in 2012. As of May 2014, there are 32 performing members (26 men, six women) in Kodō and 28 staff members involved in Kitamaesen and Otodaiku. The Kodō Cultural Foundation maintains

308-511: The 5th century, becoming prevalent during the Nara Period . Soon after the introduction of fue instruments, members of the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhism made normal use of the shakuhachi . These "priests of nothingness" viewed the instruments as spiritual tools, using them for suizen , or "blowing meditation". Modern fue performance may feature a soloist or involve either

330-600: The Berlin Festival in 1981, Kodō has had almost 4,000 performances, spending about a third of the year overseas, a third touring in Japan and a third resting and preparing new material on Sado Island. Kodō was formed in 1981 and made their debut at the Berliner Philharmonie in the same year. Kodō is sometimes considered to be simply renamed from the taiko group Ondekoza organized in 1971. Indeed, Kodō

352-549: The Sado Island community. This is still true of the younger members, who live together in the Kodō village, but senior members now live outside the village in nearby communities. As of May 2014: As of December 2013: Fue (flute) Fue ( 笛/ふえ ) is the Japanese word for bamboo flute , and refers to a class of flutes native to Japan. Fue come in many varieties, but are generally high-pitched and made of

374-545: The Village was also used as a way to improve the group's relations with residents on Sado Island, which helped facilitate festivals such as the annual Earth Celebration Festival , which brings together musicians from around the world not only for performance purposes but also to exchange cultural ideas and crafts between Sado Island and the rest of the world. Kodō received the MIDEM Music Video (Long Form) Award at

396-434: The concept of the village was proposed by Den Tagayasu prior to his departure from the group; he intended to develop a sort of academy for artisan craft and performance arts. However, after the project was initiated by Toshio Kawauchi , its purpose shifted toward integrating Kodō's presence more permanently on Sado Island. Prior to Kodō Village, the group rented out an abandoned schoolhouse as its Apprentice Center. Furthermore,

418-619: The name based on the dual meaning of the word; the first, "drum children", was based on feedback from mothers that their music lulled their children to sleep. The second meaning, "heartbeat" originated from comparing the sound of taiko drums to the sound of a mother's heartbeat on her child in the womb. The group spent the next 7 years touring Europe, Japan, North and South Americas and the Far East. Following this, they founded Kodō village on Sado Island, and also started an annual Earth Celebration , an international arts festival on Sado Island that

440-420: Was formed out of the existing members of Ondekoza, but their leader, Den Tagayasu , left the group before the transition and lead performer Eitetsu Hayashi left quickly thereafter. Tagayasu continued to use the name Ondekoza for his new group, and required the group to choose a new name. Hayashi, who departed from the group soon after its founding to begin a solo career, suggested the name "Kodō". Hayashi created

462-554: Was linked to music with an "aristocratic character." The Indian bamboo cross flute, Bansuri , was sacred to Krishna , and he is depicted in Hindu art with the instrument. In India, the cross flute appeared in reliefs from the 1st century a.d. at Sanchi and Amaravati from the 2nd-4th centuries a.d. In the modern age, bamboo flutes are common in places with ready access to bamboo, including Asia, South and Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa. See: Chinese flutes This list

SECTION 20

#1732787482382

484-411: Was still "disciplined" according to the program director, where performers would only run ten kilometers each morning. In performance, players are often seen wearing a sole loincloth called a fundoshi as a component of attire. Internal publications from the group state that they are used to help focus a player's strength while performing. Others have noted that the use of fundoshi clearly represents

#381618