KOKUBU

(thk) Fascinating, varied, hypnotic, different, intense, authentic – these six attributes probably best describe Kokubu’s spectacular show. Dressed in black kimonos and white headbands, this exceptional group spans the musical spectrum between an acoustic hurricane that shakes the ground, subtle rhythms and the delicate, soft sound of the bamboo flute (shakuhachi).

The 17-member ensemble from Osaka, founded in 1998 and led by shakuhachi master Chiaki Toyama, offers something for both the ears and the eyes. In changing groupings and using differently sized tubular drums (taikos), it brings a rhythm to the stage in breathtaking synchronicity or in contrast that captivates the audience.
Sometimes even an imposing, horizontal tubular drum is used, the stringing of which is worked by an athlete with two massive sticks as thick as his forearm.
Flute melodies form the counterpart, whose Far Eastern sound is immediately enchanting. The result is music that seems magical even to Europeans, transporting the audience into the spirituality of Japan.

Each piece is preceded by a short introduction explaining the meaning of each song, which helps the audience to understand this artistry deeply rooted in ancient tradition. They deal, for example, with the oneness of body and mind, the joy of life, nature, the power of the seasons or the belief “Go forward without looking back”.

Visitors to Kokubu’s guest performances are just as enthusiastic as the press. The reviewer of the Rhein-Zeitung experienced a “furious performance” in the sold-out Stadttheater in Idar-Oberstein and gave his review the poetic headline “Like stroking blades of grass in the wind”. The Bonner General-Anzeiger wrote, among other things, of a “sonorous stream of energy”, sparked by an “artistic drum storm”, in short: “An evening that touched the soul”. Once again, the evening culminated in what the Giessener Zeitung wrote on the occasion of the event in the hr1 broadcasting hall: “Thunderous applause and standing ovations”!

Tickets for the concerts of Kokubu, who are touring Germany for the first time after many years of live success in Japan and the USA, cost between € 29 and € 69 (plus fees) in advance. Reprint free of charge!