KODO
My journey with Kodo began in 2023 when I was invited by Kodo member Yuta Sumiyoshi to form the Earth Beat Project as part of the Earth Celebration (EC), an annual event hosted by the world-renowned Japanese taiko drum ensemble on Sado Island. This prestigious gathering has been bringing together folk musicians from across the globe since 1988, creating a space for unique musical explorations and collaborations.
The connection runs deeper than just our shared passion for percussion. In 1992, my teacher, Senegalese master drummer Doudou Ndiaye Rose, performed at EC and has been a huge inspiration for Kodo's drummers. Doudou gifted one of his drums to Kodo—a drum that I would later have the honor of playing during our collaboration, creating a powerful link between generations of rhythmic traditions.
I returned to Sado Island for the EC 2024 for a special tribute to Doudou's legacy. After intensive days of rehearsals and creative exploration, we gathered in the Kodo Village rehearsal hall to document our creation. Together with Yuta Sumiyoshi and the Kodo drummers, we crafted arrangements that blended traditional Senegalese rhythms, Doudou's compositions and traditional Japanese songs performed on Japanese Taiko drums, my Senegalese drum set and the Xalam.
What emerged through our collaboration became a testament to how the beat of the drum can connect us on a profound level. This project embodies what I've always believed: with curiosity and devotion, rhythm becomes a universal language that allows us to find ourselves in one another.
THE STORY
My journey with Kodo began in 2023 when I was invited by Kodo member Yuta Sumiyoshi to form the Earth Beat Project as part of the Earth Celebration (EC), an annual event hosted by the world-renowned Japanese taiko drum ensemble on Sado Island. This prestigious gathering has been bringing together folk musicians from across the globe since 1988, creating a space for unique musical explorations and collaborations.
The connection runs deeper than just our shared passion for percussion. In 1992, my teacher, Senegalese master drummer Doudou Ndiaye Rose, performed at EC and has been a huge inspiration for Kodo's drummers. Doudou gifted one of his drums to Kodo—a drum that I would later have the honor of playing during our collaboration, creating a powerful link between generations of rhythmic traditions.
I returned to Sado Island for the EC 2024 for a special tribute to Doudou's legacy. After intensive days of rehearsals and creative exploration, we gathered in the Kodo Village rehearsal hall to document our creation. Together with Yuta Sumiyoshi and the Kodo drummers, we crafted arrangements that blended traditional Senegalese rhythms, Doudou's compositions and traditional Japanese songs performed on Japanese Taiko drums, my Senegalese drum set and the Xalam.
What emerged through our collaboration became a testament to how the beat of the drum can connect us on a profound level. This project embodies what I've always believed: with curiosity and devotion, rhythm becomes a universal language that allows us to find ourselves in one another.
