Taiko drummers Kodo return to Union Theater

Kodo, the extremely popular troupe of Japanese taiko drummers, is returning to the Wisconsin Union Theater at 8 p.m., Saturday, March 29.

Kodo performed at the theater for the first time in 1989 and has since come back four times. Returning now for the sixth time, it is certain to once more rouse the audience with its unique and boisterous drumming performance.

The name “Kodo” derives from the Japanese word that connotes both “heartbeat” and “children of the drum.” Troupe members, known for the athletic power of their music, play on small, medium-size and large drums, including an enormous one carved from a single huge tree trunk – the O-daiko – that is played with clubs the size of baseball bats. Cymbals, flute, singing and dance are also part of the show, which includes traditional Japanese compositions and pieces written by group members and others, including some of Japan’s best known Kabuki orchestra musicians.

Kodo apprentices train for two years, living in a remote part of the stormy Sado Island in an old schoolhouse without heating or air conditioning. They rise each day at 5 a.m., run six miles, work in the garden, and study traditional drumming, singing, drama and the tea ceremony. Performances combine muscle, technique and spirituality to create “an intense blend of rhythm, movement and pageantry…you don’t just listen to taiko drumming, you feel it moving through you…nothing compares to it,” according to The Seattle Times.

The troupe has performed to more than 2,000 audiences in 37 countries. Says the Boston Globe, “If there is such a thing as perfection in music, Kodo comes as near to it as any group in the world.”

The show is sponsored by the Wisconsin Union Directorate with additional support from WORT, 89.9 FM. Tickets are $39 for the general public, $35 for Union members and $17.50 for UW–Madison students. Tickets are selling fast and the public is encouraged to purchase them soon. For more information, call the box office at (608) 262-2201.