Join us for a free family-friendly taiko drum performance by Taiyo Onoda, a member of the famed taiko group, Kodō, based in Sado Island, Japan. Come and experience the soul-stirring rhythm, unique sound, resonance, and physicality of a taiko performance from 1:15 to 2:30pm at the Cathy Rudd Cultural Corner in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center.
About Kodo
The taiko: a traditional Japanese drum with limitless rhythmic possibilities. Kodo’s 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. It can be translated as “heartbeat,” the primal source of all rhythm. Indeed, the great taiko is thought to be reminiscent of a mother’s heartbeat as felt from the womb, and babies are often lulled to sleep by its thunderous vibrations. If read in a different context however, Kodo can also mean “children of the drum,” which reflects the group’s desire to play the drums with the simple heart of a child.
Since the group’s debut at Berliner Festspiele in 1981, Kodo has given over 7,000 performances in more than 50 countries and regions on five continents. In 2001, members of Kodo became the first Japanese artists to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway. This figure includes 4,200 performances under the “One Earth” banner, a theme that embodies Kodo’s desire to transcend language and cultural boundaries, all while reminding their audiences of the common bonds we all share as human beings.
About Taiyo Onoda
Taiyo Onoda, who was born in San Francisco, started playing taiko in the USA when he was eight years old. He entered the Kodō Apprentice Centre in 2016 and became a Kodō Member in 2019. On stage, Onoda is mainly featured on taiko drums. Earnest by nature, he tackles every role with determination, steadily gaining trust as he rises to each new challenge. Before moving to Japan to join Kodō, Onoda majored in Food Science and Technology and Japanese at University of California, Davis. Performing with Kodo is physically demanding, so his cooking skills and knowledge about nutrition are great assets, helping him look after himself and his colleagues. Onoda dreams of giving back to the North American taiko community through his work with Kodō, hoping his activities will invigorate and inspire the people who raised him.
In recent years, he has been working on video content creation around his performance activities, editing and subtitling performance and educational videos. He has also taken on teaching and interpreting roles at Kodō Taiko School, facilitating bilingual group lessons online that bring the international taiko community together to learn the spirit, physique, and technique that Kodō has cultivated to date.
