Wa no Kokoro – Heart of Japan Concert

A Tapestry of Japanese Sounds Vol.4

Taiko - Shamisen Concert poster

The JGS is offering ‘A Tapestry of Japanese Sounds’: an evening of sublime Japanese traditional music on April 19th at Mahon Hall. The concert will feature two amazing musicians: Kohei Honda on Tsugaru Shamisen (three-string instrument) and the world-renowned Taiko drummer, Keita Kanazashi.

Originally developed as an accompanying instrument for traditional folk songs, the Tsugaru Shamisen has evolved into a solo instrument over the last two hundreds years.

In the first half of the concert, Kohei will play traditional Japanese folk music with the Tsugaru Shamisen to introduce the audience to its emotional and percussive sounds.

In the second half, Keita Kanazashi will join Kohei and together they will embark on an uplifting performance full of radiating energy.

About the Musicians:

Kohei Honda’s passion is the pursuit of the authentic sounds and rhythms of the Tsugaru Shamisen, as well as preserving and promoting the music. He recently won the best Tsugaru Shamisen player award in a national competition. This is his first time to perform in Canada.

Keita Kanazashi started Taiko training when he was in elementary school and has been on stage since a young age. He has performed on the Taiko drum and held workshops worldwide, by putting his energy into cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural collaborations which extend beyond boundaries.

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.

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