KODO

Warabe

Symphony Hall

Sun. March 9, 5:00 PM

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In Japanese, the word Kodō 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.

Performance length: 2 hours 20 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission.

Performance Program

Expand to view the complete performance program

Yuta Sumiyoshi | Koe

Traditional, arranged by Kodo | Miyake

Masayasu Maeda | Niwaka

Motofumi Yamaguchi | Hae

Yuta Sumiyoshi | Uminari

Koki Miura | Shinka

Masayasu Maeda | Okoshi

Reo Kitabayashi | Dokuso

Ryotaro Leo Ikenaga | Inochi

Traditional, arranged by Kodo, Kenta Nakagome | O-daiko

Traditional, arranged by Kodo | Yatai-bayashi

Running time:
2 hours 20 minutes, with one 20-minute intermission between Uminari and Shinka

“The sound of the performance took on a very raw and simplistic tone, which was perhaps, one of the most striking aspects. As the sound of singular drums built upon one another and eventually filled the theater, an uninhibited and human sound was created, as if each performer was deeply and spiritually connected to the performance ”
Santa Barbara Independent