Lecture and Demonstration with the Taiko Drummers from Kodō

Lecture and Demonstration with the Taiko Drummers

Sponsored by Celebrity Series of Boston & Japan Society of Boston

Saturday, March 8, 2025

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST

About the Event:

Join Japan Society of Boston and the Celebrity Series of Boston on March 8th at the Boston Latin School for a unique and exciting lecture and demonstration by Kodō, the award-winning Japanese Taiko Ensemble. 

At this session, members of Kodō will introduce an in-depth story behind their artistry and musicality, as well as diving deeper into one particular performer, Moe Niiyama, as she talks about her taiko journey for the first time in the United States.  The session will also have musical elements that will engage with the audience rhythmically, and there's no substitute for the feeling of the in-person experience. Be there when they fill the Boston Latin School with their propulsive music and movement!

About Kodō and Taiko Drumming:

The taiko is a traditional Japanese drum with limitless rhythmic possibilities. Kodō is an award-winning Japanese taiko ensemble, whose mission is to explore these possibilities, and in the process forge new directions for a vibrant living art-form. 

In Japanese, the word Kodo holds a double meaning. Written one way, it can be translated as “heartbeat,” the primal source of all rhythm. Written another way, the characters of the name read “drum” and “child,” reflecting the company’s mission: to play the drums with the simple heart of a child.  

For the company’s 40th anniversary, they created two programs, Tsuzumi and Warabe, based on the two syllables of the name. The former program, a thunderous sold-out sensation at Symphony Hall in 2023, was inspired by the “drum” character.  

Kodo returns to the Celebrity Series with the latter, Warabe—a soul-stirring program evoking the “child” character. In this performance, Kodo’s drummers, singers, and other traditional instrumentalists look to the group’s classic repertoire and early days, blending simple forms of taiko expression that celebrate their unique sound, resonance, and physicality. 

Come and experience the soul-stirring rhythm of life firsthand.

Kodo's upcoming Symphony Hall Concert will be on Sunday, March 9th at 5pm. Tickets are available at the Celebrity Series of Boston website. 

JSB members can get 10% off on up to 4 tickets, valid from noon on Oct 29, 2024 through Feb 19, 2025 using the special link or discount code on the member only portal.

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