In March 2026, the legendary Japanese taiko ensemble Kodo returns to Belgium with its new tour One Earth Tour 2026 – Luminance. For more than forty years, Kodo has enjoyed worldwide recognition thanks to a unique synthesis of ancient Japanese rituals and contemporary stage art. This long international experience forms the foundation of Luminance, a production that both honors the ensemble's past and sharpens its current artistic identity.
Since its founding, Kodo has traveled the world under the motto One Earth Tour, a vision that views music as a universal language connecting people across cultural and geographical boundaries. Luminance aligns seamlessly with this vision and brings the spirit of Kodo, as it lives within the ensemble today, fully to the stage. The result is not a retrospective, but an intensely concentrated snapshot of Kodo here and now.
In Luminance, Kodo explicitly explores the power of light and energy. Rhythmic precision and physical intensity alternate with moments of stillness and contemplation. The deep, resonant sounds of the large taiko drums form the backbone of the performance, complemented by refined percussion instruments, flutes, and a strongly developed choreographic component. Sound and body merge into a total experience in which music becomes not only audible, but also visible and almost tangible.
The program combines a series of works that have evolved over the years into signature pieces of the ensemble with new repertoire, created by current members of Kodo. Among the staples are Yatai-bayashi, Miyake, and O-daiko, pieces in which the collective discipline and physical strength of the ensemble are central. These classics are placed alongside new compositions in Luminance, which enrich the familiar idiom with fresh timbres and structures. This creates a compelling dialogue between tradition and innovation.
A key work within the program is Monochrome (1976), the groundbreaking composition by Maki Ishii (1936–2003). This work has since become one of the most recognizable pieces in the Kodo repertoire and is considered a landmark in the history of modern taiko music. Ishii composed Monochrome after intensive contact with Sado no Kuni Ondekoza, Kodo's predecessor, and recognized the taiko's potential for contemporary concert-hall expression. The premiere in Tokyo in 1976 was hailed as a revelation and gave the taiko a new place within international contemporary music.
The fact that Monochrome still plays a central role in Kodo's performances today, nearly fifty years later, underscores the timeless power of the work. In Luminance, it does not sound like a historical monument, but as a living piece of repertoire that is continuously reimagined by the performers. Together with the other core works, it forms a dramaturgical arc that takes the listener from raw energy to composed concentration.
The artistic direction of Luminance is in the hands of Yuki Hirata (b. 1992), a member of Kodo since 2018. Hirata joined the Kodo Apprentice Centre in 2015 and developed into a versatile musician and creator. On stage, he is heard primarily on taiko, bamboo flutes, and metal percussion instruments. His playing is distinguished by a pronounced lyrical sensitivity, even within the monumental rhythmic structures of works such as O-daiko and Monochrome. Beyond his performance activities, Hirata is active as a composer, arranger, and producer, and plays an important role in the ensemble's creative and communicative dynamics.
In a world that has faced pandemics, conflicts, and social tensions in recent years, Kodo continues its One Earth Tour from a pronounced humanistic conviction. The sound of the taiko is used as a source of energy and hope, intended to connect people and restore a sense of collective experience. Luminance aims to make that intention tangible and immerse the audience in what Kodo itself describes as an experience of light, resonance, and shared breath.
The Belgian public will have three opportunities in March 2026 to experience this new production live. On 3 March 2026, Kodo performs at Bozar, followed by a concert on 4 March 2026 at the Concertgebouw Brugge. The Belgian series concludes on 13 March 2026 at the Koningin Elisabethzaal. These concerts offer a unique opportunity to see and hear one of the world's most renowned percussion ensembles in full artistic force.
With Luminance, Kodo confirms its exceptional position within the international music landscape. The ensemble remains true to its roots while demonstrating an undiminished drive for innovation. The One Earth Tour 2026 thus promises to be not only an impressive spectacle of sound and movement, but also a deeply felt musical experience that will resonate for a long time to come.