Bonten
Led by Masataka Kobayashi-sensei, Bonten is a professional drumming troupe consisting of both male and female drummers who have been trained at Masataka Kobayashi’s taiko institution, the Mirai Taiko Dojo. Bonten was formed in 1999 and debuted in 2000. With a high level of technical ability, energy, and great power of expression, the sounds that they create have mesmerized people from all over the world. While respecting the tradition of taiko drumming, they also incorporate the beats of taiko drums with the Japanese flute, koto, and piano. Bonten’s repertoire consists of original pieces that Kobayashi-sensei composes. The chief message they wish to convey to their audiences is the beauty of life.
In the fall of 2006, Kobayashi-sensei, visited Cornell to help us establish Yamatai. He brought taiko drums all the way from Japan; also helped us make drumming sticks, stands, and taught a master class to our members. We dedicated our debut performance to him on April 1st, 2007 at the JUSA Culture Show. Yamatai thanks him for his ceaseless support.
Kodo
Exploring the limitless possibilities of the traditional Japanese drum, the taiko, Kodo is forging new directions for a vibrant living art-form. In Japanese the word “Kodo” conveys two meanings: Firstly, “heartbeat” the primal source of all rhythm. The sound of the great taiko is said to resemble a mother’s heartbeat as felt in the womb, and it is no myth that babies are often lulled asleep by its thunderous vibrations. Secondly, read in a different way, the word can mean “children of the drum,” a reflection of Kodo’s desire to play the drums simply, with the heart of a child. Since the group’s debut at the Berlin Festival in 1981, Kodo has given over 3400 performances on all five continents, spending about a third of the year overseas, a third touring in Japan and a third resting and preparing new material on Sado Island.
Kodo strives to both preserve and re-interpret traditional Japanese performing arts. Beyond this, members on tours and research trips all over the globe have brought back to Sado a kaleidoscope of world music and experiences which now exerts a strong influence on the group’s performances and compositions. Collaborations with other artists and composers extend right across the musical spectrum and Kodo’s lack of preconceptions about its music continues to produce startling new fusion and forms.
TAIKOPROJECT
The TAIKOPROJECT is an ensemble of premiere taiko drummers dedicated to promoting and advancing the American art of taiko. Through public performances, education, and outreach activities, TAIKOPROJECT is committed to preserving taiko as a dynamic element of Japanese American culture and heritage. In addition to maintaining taiko as a community-based tradition, TAIKOPROJECT also incorporates unconventional and innovative concepts to expand artistic boundaries. Through these values, TAIKOPROJECT seeks not only to entertain audiences, but also to inform them about the history and integrity of taiko as an evolving art form.
