Nagata Shachu continues its 27th season with Heartbeat of Hokkaido, an intimate, seventy-minute concert on November 24 at Tranzac Club featuring master taiko and three stringed Tsugaru shamisen master Yoshiyuki Kimura (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). This is a rare opportunity to see master artists from northern Japan, which has a diverse and rich musical history and culture.

The first half of Heartbeat of Hokkaido 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.