On Thu, Dec 30, 2004 at 11:12:39PM -0800, bernie arai wrote: > after a few months of lurking on this list i finally feel like i have > something to contribute, albeit horribly off topic. the name of the > japanese taiko drumming group is Kodo, not goto (although i like the C > joke). they do in fact come from sado island, famous as a hideout for > artists, exiles and recluses, where the group all live in a house > together and train new members. all the while, they have been playing > one continuous world tour for about 12 years now called the "one earth > tour" (coming back to my town next month). they were not formed with > any (organized) religious connections, but were actually an offshoot of > another taiko group called ondekoza. > before i spent all my time getting a linux audio workstation to work, i > used to perform in a taiko group here in vancouver called the uzume > taiko ensemble, which is where i learned about kodo and their kin. it's > a real workout... No doubt. I once had the pleasure of attending an Ondekoza performance. As I understand it part of the performers' daily regimen is running the equivalent of a marathon. I was amazed beyond words at the intense physicality of their drumming. Truly one of the greatest shows I've experienced. -Eric Rz.
