Kodo Film Review
Video Review – Kodo: Heartbeat Drummers of Japan
Kodo is a Japanese group who came together in 1981 due to their common interest and passion in Taiko drumming, which encompassed their lives on the island of Sado in Tokyo, Japan. The sounds produced by these drums were what held their culture together as they believe that they would find an echo of the human heartbeat through it. To them, the heart is the principle of the human being. Thus, the name Kodo translates into two meanings: the first is “heartbeat”, which they believe is the primal source of all rhythm and the second is “children of the drum,” which is a reflection of Kodo’s desire to play their drum simply with the heart of a child. The film began by diving into a slow paced, but bold, Taiko drumming that gradually transitioned into a fast paced drumming along with some clapper instruments. The drums were two sided and players used two sticks to hit the drum on each side to produce contrasting beats, producing a complex and interesting rhythm. Kodo’s style of drumming is a unique synthesis of old and new; it cannot be fully categorized. Throughout the film, there were drums of various sizes with the odaiko being the largest and serving as the centerpiece of every Taiko performance. The player of the odaiko exerts his entire strength and spirit that he becomes one with the drum. The members of Kodo were woken up each morning with the sound of wooden clappers to signal the time of a new day. They live a Sparta existence in that they perform daily 10-kilometer runs around the island of Sado, the land of farmers and fishermen. This daily routine is essential to Kodo for providing them with the physical stamina and strength to beat the drums, which is what they do for a living. Every muscle is prepared and strengthened before playing through strength exercises and training since their entire body and spirit is used when playing the drums. Drumming must utilize the full spirit and strength or else it
Kodo is a Japanese group who came together in 1981 due to their common interest and passion in Taiko drumming, which encompassed their lives on the island of Sado in Tokyo, Japan. The sounds produced by these drums were what held their culture together as they believe that they would find an echo of the human heartbeat through it. To them, the heart is the principle of the human being. Thus, the name Kodo translates into two meanings: the first is “heartbeat”, which they believe is the primal source of all rhythm and the second is “children of the drum,” which is a reflection of Kodo’s desire to play their drum simply with the heart of a child. The film began by diving into a slow paced, but bold, Taiko drumming that gradually transitioned into a fast paced drumming along with some clapper instruments. The drums were two sided and players used two sticks to hit the drum on each side to produce contrasting beats, producing a complex and interesting rhythm. Kodo’s style of drumming is a unique synthesis of old and new; it cannot be fully categorized. Throughout the film, there were drums of various sizes with the odaiko being the largest and serving as the centerpiece of every Taiko performance. The player of the odaiko exerts his entire strength and spirit that he becomes one with the drum. The members of Kodo were woken up each morning with the sound of wooden clappers to signal the time of a new day. They live a Sparta existence in that they perform daily 10-kilometer runs around the island of Sado, the land of farmers and fishermen. This daily routine is essential to Kodo for providing them with the physical stamina and strength to beat the drums, which is what they do for a living. Every muscle is prepared and strengthened before playing through strength exercises and training since their entire body and spirit is used when playing the drums. Drumming must utilize the full spirit and strength or else it