What: NAGATA SHACHU w/ TorQ Percussion Quartet
When: Saturday, April 2, 2016 @ 8:00 pm
Where: Harbourfront Centre – Brigantine Room, 235 Queens Quay West, Toronto, ON / (416) 973-4000
Tickets: Adv. $30 / Day Of $35 / Student/Senior $20 / Groups 10+ $28
Following a highly successful season launch at Harbourfront’s Fleck Dance Theatre in November of 2015, Nagata Shachu Japanese taiko drum and music ensemble continues their 17th Annual Concert Season with a one-of-a-kind show April 2nd at Harbourfront’s Brigantine Room. The group will combine their high-energy sound with Canadian troupe TorQ Percussion Quartet, and the show will feature the unprecedented combination of traditional Japanese drums alongside Western percussion instruments. The season will end with a very special program on June 4th with the extraordinary bamboo flute (shinobue) player Jiro Murayama, direct from Japan. Aside from their outstanding season of concerts, Nagata Shachu is also back by popular demand – for the third time – to join pianist Ron Davis and his Symphronica at Lula Lounge on April 21st.
Toronto-based Japanese drum and music group Nagata Shachu has been thrilling audiences both locally and nationally, bringing their unique sound to cities across the country. Matt Galloway, host of CBC Radio Metro Morning, acknowledged that bandleader Kiyoshi Nagata “has been an ambassador for this music here in this city (Toronto) and this country for a long time.” Their many collaborations have served to enhance the group’s already percolating performances.
Canada’s premiere percussion ensemble TorQ Percussion Quartet is the next exceptional pairing for Nagata Shachu. Also Toronto-based, this troupe continues to bring new vitality to percussion repertoire and performance in every situation and at every opportunity. Renowned for their engaging, energetic performances with the likes of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, members Richard Burrows, Adam Campbell, Jamie Drake, and Daniel Morphy are committed to making percussion music accessible to audiences that span generations – they’re actively involved in music education initiatives and stage something upwards of 70 school performances per year.
They will join Nagata Shachu in an exciting mash-up of Japanese, Western and other-worldly percussion, such as their distinctive use of marimba, vibraphone and various hand drums – sometimes utilizing items like garbage cans for songs like the aptly titled “Stinkin’ Garbage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLiZwU0r0Lw. “This is a 100 per cent local effort that can stand proud among the growing throng of chamber percussion ensembles around the world,” said John Terauds (Toronto Star), of their debut CD.
Along with world premiere compositions being created for Nagata Shachu and TorQ by Akemi Akachi – who completed her Masters’ degree at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music – there will also be an original piece, exclusive to this April 2nd concert, where Aki Takahashi will perform on the shamisen (a 3-stringed instrument) with vocals and marimba from TorQ.
