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” coveys two meanings: Firstly, “heartbeat,” the primal source of all rhythm. 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 in 1981, Kodo has given more than 3,700 performances on five continents, spending about two-thirds of the year touring overseas and in Japan while the remainder of their time is spent cultivating a peaceful coexistence between humanity and nature lived through the “Kodo Lifestyle” on Sado Island, taiko drumming’s home of reflection and retreat.