The taiko drummers of Kodo: just don’t call them sexy
6 Mar 2019.

My job is to ask people questions about the things they do, but sometimes there just isn’t that much to talk about. Case in point: the taiko drummers of Kodo. They drum. They tour. That’s about it. Both publicists and myself look desperately for angles to make this seem interesting. Don’t get me wrong. The show itself, in which a group of well-muscled Japanese men and women bang on huge drums, is fantastic. It’s an auditory experience, and culturally significant, and strangely beautiful. But what else can one say?

Because the 30 members of the troupe are Japanese and have limited English skills, I was asked to submit questions in advance. So I did. I looked at pictures of the troupe. Lots of drums, lots of bare chests. This being a gay magazine, I thought I’d sell the ‘sexy’ angle. But when I submitted the questions, two were axed. They were “Who is the sex symbol of the troupe?,” and “Can one experience ecstasy while drumming?”

The company’s press person wrote back saying, “It is a part of the human experience that they essentially relinquish in favor of this primal connection to a life-force rhythm — the members of Kodo do not think about this work or their performances sexually, and we would like to respect that aspect of their artistic practice. If possible, we would be very grateful if Paul could consider changing those two questions.”

I guess her point is that sexy is in the eye of the beholder, and not part of the troupe’s image. So that leaves a lot of questions about drumming. Fortunately, the man I spoke to, Ryotaro Leo Ikenaga, was far from boring, and his English was impeccable.

“Our drums are very unique, unlike western percussion instruments,” he told me. “The heaviest one takes more than 20 people to carry it.” The show isn’t all drumming. “We have some parts that feature bamboo flutes, but also some drumming sections that are very quiet.”

I asked him if anyone ever flubbed on stage. “We notice if someone plays a wrong note but I think it’s hard for an audience to tell. Sticks break often. We always have spare ones close by.” And is it exhausting to drum all the time? “During the show you get an adrenaline rush but afterwards you feel some fatigue. We do 30 shows in two months, so we’re used to the grind.”

I wondered if there are any related injuries to the practice. “The drums are loud, and we don’t use ear plugs, so it might be affecting our hearing in some way, but no one has ever had any hearing problems.” Finally, I thought I would get to the heart of the matter. If I can’t ask him about sexuality, I could at least ask him about the sacred aspect. His answer surprised me.

“There are no strong religious connotations to taiko drumming,” he declared. “Taiko as a performing art has only been around 50 or 60 years. We incorporate a lot of traditional dances. But a religious aspect isn’t featured in the show.”

And that’s about it. I wasn’t sure what else to ask, but it’s all moot. Seeing the taiko drummers perform live is a transcendent experience, and regardless of what the company’s press person thinks, it is kind of sexy.
Break a stick, Leo.