ARTISTS
Harbour Concerts
Kodo
Exploring the limitless possibilities of the traditional Japanese drum, the taiko, Kodo is forging new directions for a vibrant living art-form. Since the group’s debut at the Berlin Festival in 1981, Kodo has given over 7,000 performances on all five continents, spending about a third of the year overseas, a third touring in Japan and a third rehearsing 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.
Khusugtun
Khusugtun was established in 2009 as part of the State Grand Orchestra of the Mongolian Grand Theatre of National Arts. The ensemble is dedicated to preserving and reimagining Mongolia’s musical heritage, performing with a wide range of traditional instruments recognized as part of the country’s intangible cultural heritage, including the morin khuur [horse-head fiddle], ikel [vertical fiddle], tovshuur [plucked string instrument], and various harps, flutes, and other fiddles. Khusugtun means “people of the cart,” referring to Mongolia’s nomadic people who travel with khusug, or traditional carts. Their name reflects their desire to journey around the world with their music, carrying with them a cart of Mongolia’s traditional instruments and heritage. Khusugtun is especially known for pioneering the fusion of Mongolian khoomii [throat singing] with classical multi-voice a cappella performance to create a distinctive, innovative spectrum of sound. Their music is rooted in tradition yet contemporary in expression. The band has performed in over 30 countries to date, presenting Mongolia’s national arts and rich cultural heritage to audiences worldwide for over 15 years. Their album Jangar received the Songlines Music Award 2021 in the Asia-Pacific category. Receiving this highly esteemed award in the world music genre marked a significant milestone for Khusugtun.
Miyake–jima Geino Doshi–kai
Miyake-jima Geino Doshi-kai is a family taiko group from Miyake Island, comprised of a father, Akio Tsumura (75), and his three sons: Kazuhiro, Hidenori, and Haruyoshi. Together, they uphold a distinctive style of taiko drumming that provides the pulse of the island’s festivals, played from an extremely low stance. This group is a rarity in the taiko world, passing their sound and techniques down from father to son, and now extending to a third generation—Akio’s grandchildren. Their ongoing quest is to generate beats that are felt as much as heard. Based in Shinjuku, Yokohama, and Saitama, Miyake-jima Geino Doshi-kai teaches and performs throughout Japan and around the world. They are also dedicated to leading regular workshops with students around the Pacific Rim in Singapore, Australia, the United States, and Canada. Their exchange with Kodo in its early days sparked the ensemble’s iconic piece, Miyake. Four decades on, Doshi-kai continues to guide Kodo’s lifelong learning about Miyake Taiko and collaborates with the ensemble through their Matsurine [Festival Sound] concert series.