One of the most beloved and influential taiko drum ensembles in the world, Kodo, has returned to Beijing. Two decades after their last performance in the Chinese capital, Kodo returns with a breathtaking retrospective tracing the group's history. Shen Li reports.

The past, present, and future of Kodo and taiko in one compelling performance. Entitled "Evolution", the 120-minute-long drum show displays the mesmerizing precision and endurance of taiko, an age-old Japanese art form. The show is produced under the artistic direction of Japan's Kabuki actor Tamasaburo Bando, who's greatly influenced by Chinese Peking opera master Mei Lanfang. Performers have infused the production with fresh lyrical rhythms that will move both body and soul. For Japanese-American drummer Ryotaro Leo Ikenaga, joining the group helps him better connect with his cultural roots.

RYOTARO LEO IKENAGA DRUMMER, KODO "It was definitely a challenge, in a sense that I grew up in America, so even I am a Japanese-American, there were some differences that I have to talk it out and overcome. But in the end I found that we were not that different, we all love taiko so through that I was able to do what I want do what they want and communicate."

The pulse of the human heart is at the core of Kodo -- in name, energy, and sound. Both male and female drummers present delicate sounds and pounding fury from a whole family of drums, including the gigantic o-daiko, weighing in at 300 kilograms.

TOMOE MIURA DRUMMER, KODO "When I play the drums, I don't think anything in particular. It's as if the movements have become a part of me. I'm simply letting it flow naturally."

Evolution is part of Kodo's "One Earth Tour", to express its wishes of crossing the barriers of language and culture.

RYOTARO LEO IKENAGA DRUMMER, KODO "After watching our taiko performance, you kind of instinctively feel that we are different but we are the same, at the same time."

The group made its debut in 1981 in Berlin and has given over six thousand performances in over 50 countries across the world. Shen Li, CGTN.