KODO (Tsuzumi)
to
Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts 733 Rivers St, North Carolina 28607
KODO is a group of Japanese artists, musicians and performers dedicated to the re-creation of traditional
Japanese performing arts. The group, whose name can be translated as “heartbeat,” uses many musical
instruments in performances, focusing primarily on taiko, traditional Japanese drums. To commemorate
KODO’s 40 th anniversary in 2021, they created two touring productions based on their name, whose
characters mean “drum” and “child.” This tour, Tzuzumi, takes its name from the drum character and traces
the group’s origins back to the beginning, reflecting on the history and reaffirming what has shaped KODO.
This work opens with modern composer Maki Ishii’s “Dyu-Ha,” a piece performed for the first time in North
America since 1989. Other pieces include Ishii’s masterpiece “Monochrome” as well as KODO signature
pieces such as “O-daiko,” “Yatai-bayashi” and “Zoku.”
Tickets: $20 Adult, $15 Local Resident, $5 Student