The Rhythm of the Universe, by Kenny Endo
On October 12, master percussionist and taiko performer Kenny Endo collaborated with the teachers and students of Chozen-ji in a performance called The Rhythm of the Universe. Kenny provided taiko, flute, hand drum and voice accompaniment for various Chozen-ji arts—Karate, Shakuhachi, Chado, Okyo, Kendo and Hojo—and zazen.
It was a great honor to collaborate with the arts at Chozen-ji on October 12, 2019 in the program, The Rhythm of the Universe. Chozen-ji is a rare institution where the arts are valued and time is spent training in the roots of the various cultural forms.
To prepare for these collaborations, I spent time with all of the teachers and classes in the program in addition to training myself in Chozen-ji zazen and Kendo. This was valuable in helping me understand what kinds of music and sounds would feel natural in our collaboration. In the end, I chose to use no notes or notation and my part was 90% improvisation. I relied on listening, watching and feeling what was happening in the moment.
In the end, the path of all art forms are the same and all have the potential to lead to the improvement of people and society. I hope we can continue this collaboration into the future and thank the teachers, students, audience members and Chozen-ji for this opportunity.
