Interviews

1. Fun at concentration camp

2. A wrong ethnic assumption

3. The performing arts not for Nisei

4. Changing the taiko rhythm from Japanese to Afro-Cuban

5. Friction between Sensei and Kinnara in defining taiko

6. American influences on Japanese taiko

7. Appreciating Kinnara Taiko's approach to taiko

8. A Japanese American gardening dance

9. Taiko is a reflection of where you live

10. Playing traditional gagaku while creating an identity

Kodani,Mas

Senshin Buddhist Temple minister and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko.

Changing the taiko rhythm from Japanese to Afro-Cuban

The fact that George was in the group really was important because his father was a biwa teacher and so George grew up with Japanese music. So his sense of rhythm also is Japanese. It was very Japanese-y at first. Most taiko groups now – it’s Afro-Cuban because that’s our upbringing. They’re not exposed to Japanese music at all. So that if you listen to American taiko, the one thing that overwhelmingly distinguishes it is every space is filled and it’s real fast and it’s real loud, and there’s no…

Whereas Japanese rhythm is limited but it’s spacey. It’s based on a melody and George is from that tradition and I’m chanting. So when we got together, one of our early pieces was we beat out the Amida-kyo – the Amida Sutra. Every beat. From that comes a natural syncopation [chants]. And we took sections of that and put them together as pieces.

In the beginning it was very Japanese. Now it’s Sansei-Yonsei. It’s more Afro-Cuban because that’s the American influence. So it’s less Japanese as we go on, I would think. So here we’ve been trying to expose our kids to more Japanese music or Asian music because there is that difference.

drum music taiko

Date: December 3, 2004

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Art Hansen, Sojin Kim

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Rev. Masao Kodani is a Sansei minister of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko - the second taiko group established in the United States and the first Japanese American Buddhist group. Born in Glendale, California, Rev. Kodani was a young child when he and his family were incarcerated at Poston Relocation Center in Arizona during WWII. After his family's return toLos Angeles, they lived in a predominantly African American community near the neighborhood of Watts. Although they were Buddhist, his parents sent their children to Evergreen Baptist Church in East L.A. because they thought it would be easier for them to fit in. After graduating from Centennial High School, Reverend Kodani attended the University of California at Santa Barbara where he earned his degree in East Asian Studies. While at UC Santa Barbara, he became close with Reverend Art Takemoto of Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. Through Rev. Takemoto’s influence, Kodani traveled to Japanto study Buddhism at Ryukoku University. After his studies were completed, he returned to the United States and was assigned to the Senshin Buddhist Temple in South Central Los Angeles. In 1969, he established Kinnara Taiko with members of the temple as a Japanese American Buddhist ensemble with the objective of enjoying the Buddha-Dharma (Horaku)through the experience. Their composition, "Ashura" has become one of the most learned adapted pieces in the American taiko repertory. (December 3, 2004)