Kodo One Earth Tour 2020: Tsuzumi—Full Performance Showcase

Kodo 40th Anniversary Commemorative Performance I “Kodo One Earth Tour 2020: Tsuzumi” Kodo celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2021 with a diverse concert series, which includes two new productions that will tour throughout Japan. The name “Kodo” holds a double meaning. It can be translated as “heartbeat,” the primal source of all rhythm. However, the group’s name is written with different characters, which mean “drum” and “child.” This reflects Kodo’s desire to play the drums with the simple heart of a child. For its 40th anniversary, Kodo created two works based on their name: Tsuzumi takes its name and theme from the drum character, and Warabe from the child element. In the first commemorative work, Tsuzumi, Kodo performs Dyu-Ha on tour for the first time in around 15 years. The late Maki Ishii, a modern composer who was introduced to Kodo by conductor Seiji Ozawa, presented this piece to Kodo as a gift to congratulate the ensemble on its debut in 1981. The programme also features Ishii’s ma