About this Event
Nagata Shachu Japanese taiko and music group proudly presents the second concert of its 2024-2025 concert season. This intimate, eighty-minute concert 'Heartbeat of Hokkaido' features master taiko and three stringed Tsugaru shamisen master Yoshiyuki Kimura (from Sapporo, Hokkaido) accompanied by Momoe Endo (Sapporo), in collaboration with Toronto-based shamisen and folk singer Aki Takahashi and taiko duo Korokoro (Kiyoshi Nagata and Akemi Akachi).
The first half of the concert will feature traditional folk songs using the Tsugaru shamisen. This type of shamisen and style of music originated from the Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefecture, with its fast-paced rhythms, lilting melodies, flashy finger work, and heavy emphasis on improvisation. The second half concert will feature both modern and traditional taiko pieces using a wide variety of taiko drums performed by Kimura, Endo, and Korokoro duo consisting of Kiyoshi Nagata and Akemi Akachi.
This is a rare opportunity to see master artists from northern Japan which has a diverse and rich musical history and culture.
Yoshiyuki Kimura was born in Sapporo (Japan) in 1982. At the age of ten he began playing the traditional taiko drum. During a school trip to Aomori at the age of 15, he saw a concert of the Japanese string instrument Tsugaru-Shamisen.
In 2001 he trained in taiko playing with the world-famous taiko group "Kodo". Since then he has taken part in various national competitions with both the taiko drum and the Tsugaru shamisen and received several prizes.
He runs his own school in Sapporo, but also offers workshops abroad. In 2013 he founded the "Yoshiyuki Kimura Culture Foundation", which is committed to promoting regional Japanese culture and training professional players.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Avenue, Toronto, Canada
CAD 37.61
