The Sony Centre For The Performing Arts Presents KODO ONE EARTH TOUR: MYSTERY, 3/12

Japan's world famous Kodo Drummers return to Toronto after four long years! A perfect holiday gift idea for the whole family, tickets are on sale now for Kodo's new groundbreaking show: Kodo One Earth Tour: Mystery, which runs one night only - Thursday, March 12, 2015 @ 8pm - at the Sony Centre For The Performing Arts, presented by Hammond Associates. Tickets are available by calling the Box Office at 1-855-872-SONY (7669), by visitingwww.sonycentre.ca or in person at the Sony Centre Box Office.

Kodo forges new directions for a vibrant living art form with Mystery, a breath-taking spectacle that explores the limitless possibilities of the traditional Japanese drum, the taiko. Taking Kodo to yet another frontier, Mystery transcends the real world as it voyages to a wondrous realm that lies in the beyond, where sacred beasts and myriad gods roam. Kodo's primal foundation-shaking rhythms and displays of muscular endurance astound and delight audiences of all ages. See a short video here: www.sonycentre.ca/

Experience the power and majesty of Taiko drumming as the internationally celebrated Kodo Drummers bring this ancient art form to Canada. The Toronto engagement comes during the North American leg of Kodo's annual One Earth Tour that highlights Kodo's message of global unity through rhythm. New dates have been added and the full Canadian tour dates are: Vancouver January 29 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre; Quebec City March 5 at Grand Théâtre de Québec; Montreal March 7 at Place des Arts; Ottawa March 9 at the National Arts Centre; Toronto March 12 at Sony Centre For The Performing Arts.
Kodo's virtuosity ranges from electrifying, pounding rhythms - as old as our collective heartbeat - to quiet and reflective pieces constructed with subtle strings and delicate flutes, all performed in a dazzling display of kamikaze speed, dexterity, precision and muscular endurance. Kodo has seen a departure from its traditional costume styles and musical direction since famed Kabuki artist Tamasaburo Bando took the helm as full-time artistic director in 2012. The second Kodo program directed by Tamasaburo Bando, Mysteryrepresents a further evolution of the group's new expressions and promises to transport both seasoned fans and first-time viewers alike to uncharted artistic territory as it presents the "mystery" and otherworldly splendour in Japanese folk arts and ritual.

ABOUT KODO
Exploring the limitless possibilities of the traditional Japanese drum, the taiko, Kodo is forging new directions for a vibrant living art form. In Japanese the word "Kodo" conveys two meanings. Firstly, "heartbeat," the primal source of all rhythm. The sound of the great taiko is said to resemble a mother's heartbeat as felt in the womb, and it is no myth that babies are often lulled to sleep by its thunderous vibrations. Secondly, read in a different way, the word can mean "children of the drum," a reflection of Kodo's desire to play the drums simply, with the heart of a child. Since the group's debut at the Berlin Festival in 1981, Kodo has given over 3,700 performances on all five continents, spending about a third of the year overseas, a third touring in Japan and a third rehearsing and preparing new material on Sado Island. The group is renowned for their athletic, intensely physical performances and their on-stage joyful energy is as palpable as the rolling thunder of their drums. www.kodo.or.jp
ABOUT SONY CENTRE
Sony Centre For The Performing Arts, Toronto's first performing arts centre, has played a defining role in the cultural life of Toronto for more than 50 years. Today, the Sony Centre's mission is to unite the global citizens of Toronto through great artistic experiences.

Photo credit: Takashi Okamoto