Heartbeat

It's said that the only sound we never forget is the sound of our mother's heart, there's a traditional taiko group, called Kodo, that plays this drum with only one objetive: being able to reproduce that sound.
Taiko is a japanese drum that has a singular meaning to japanese people, they believed that God was in the music and playing instruments with such a strong energy, such as taiko, was a way to get connected to Him. It was believed that if you let your heart really feel the song you were playing, you could feel what God wanted to say through it.
Kodo is one of the most famous taiko groups in the world, they cultivate the idea that taiko has a special place in their lives and that playing is the only reason why they are alive and here. Kodo, in japanese, can mean "heartbeat" or "kid" and many other things. The group travels around countries in every continent, spreading the culture and the magic feelings they provide by playing their divine instruments.
Every country has its own taiko groups, in Brazil there is even a national championship that takes place every year. Kodo came to Brazil once, but it took them 20 years until they came again, in 2008, it was certainly the best moment to every single taiko player in Brazil that could watch it, it was also the biggest evidence that they reached their purpose and finally found the perfect sound: the one that only exists because of the harmony between player, watcher and God.

Juan Reis Lopes
12/12/2009