Discussing the complement of the two styles, Zakir points out that taiko and tabla both stem from traditions of physical and spiritual discipline.  He says that in India music is considered the highest form of yoga.  Tabla players undergo 40-day "chilla" training sessions which consist of meditation and continuous playing for up to 20 hours a day in a test and demonstration of endurance.  This he indicates is similar to Kodo's daily regiment of running and endurance training to build stamina for playing taiko.  Both forms of music are in essence crafted out of discipline and mental focus. Kaneko says that he is most intrigued be the more subtle nuance obtainable with the tabla.  Though he believes the source of the rhythms in both styles are similar, he compares the taiko to a caffeine high, metaphorically like a volcanic explosion.  He expresses a personal fascination with the sexy "down" moods that can portray subtler forces in nature such as the blossoming of a flower or the motion of a leaf in the wind which have their own type of rhythm that can be overlooked by the forcefulness of taiko.  This aspect was demonstrated during the second half of the concert in a piece titled "monochrome" in which six Kodo members played small shimedaiko (rope tightened taiko) with delicate taps that seemed reminiscent of insect sounds or trickling raindrops.  In this piece Zakir's tabla seemed to look eye-to-eye with the shimedaiko in terms of range of intensity and expressiveness. Kodo's collaborative concerts are a kind of wormhole in space, merging two otherwise separate worlds in a sudden collage where the common elements and unique characteristics of diverse musical styles become acutely highlighted.  Fujimoto on the odaiko builds from silence, seeming to fight himself to keep from striking the drum until the motion erupts from within him.  Zakir on the other hand seems to be rooted in a perpetual flow of rhythm, an intricate network of patterns that he pulls to the surface.  He occasionally makes the gesture of falling forward on the tablas with both hands, as if the only way the rhythm could ever stop were through the covering of the drums.  The contrast and copliment that surfaces about the two drum styles is that taiko sculpts gaps while tabla and its kin focus on filling them.  Taiko and tabla create an auditory equivalent of visual positive and negative space.  The physically gripping experience of Kodo's performance paired with the mentally dazzling network of Indian rhythms is like a musical metaphor for the union of body and mind. Watch for the upcoming release of the Zakir/Kodo CD "Percussion Forest," coming in Japan in October on the Sony label and in the US in April on the Red Ink label.  Kodo's 2002 Earth Celebration will be held next year in May.  For more details visit www.kodo.com. Return to Page 1 Home Pictures of Kodo Pictures of Zakir Pictures of Vinayakram Pictures of Selvaganesh Zakir Interview

Kodo Earth Celebration 2001 With Zakir Hussain's Taal Ensemble