Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The internationally renowned Nagata Shachu brings its mesmerizing and heart-pounding performance of the Japanese drum (taiko) to University of North Carolina Wilmington. Their playing is the combination of unbounded spirit with the highest levels of musicianship and discipline. The performance takes place at 8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 28 in Kenan Auditorium and launches this year's Arts in Action Performance Series.

Taking its name from founder Kiyoshi Nagata, and shachu (an old term for a performing troupe), Nagata Shachu features a vast array of Japanese taiko (including the massive O-Daiko), gongs, bells, wooden clappers, shakers and bamboo flutes, and has earned critical acclaim the world over for its exacting, straightforward yet physically demanding performances, as well as for its diverse repertoire. These drummers aren't simply musicians; they are also athletes and performers, and the result is an unforgettable experience that is both powerful in expression and heartfelt in its sincerity.

Based in Toronto, Nagata Shachu is rooted in the folk drumming traditions of Japan, though the troupe's principal aim is to rejuvenate this ancient art form by producing innovative and exciting music that seeks to create a new voice for the taiko. Combining thunderous, primal drumbeats with subtle, intricate rhythms, the ensemble is able to produce a wide spectrum of sound. Nagata Shachu takes its audiences on a musical journey beyond all borders. "...Nagata's tremendous passion and discipline constantly manifests itself in mesmerizing performances," writes Errol Nazareth in the Toronto Sun.

Kiyoshi Nagata, the ensemble's artistic director, is Canada's preeminent taiko soloist and has been performing in a career that spans twenty-seven years. His principal studies were with Daihachi Oguchi (as artistic director and performer of the Toronto-based, Suwa Daiko from 1982 to 1992) and with Kodo (as an apprentice from 1993 to 1994).

Since 1998 Kiyoshi has taught a credit course in taiko at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music, and in September 2003, he began teaching a public course at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. For eight years, he also instructed two community groups, Isshin Daiko in Toronto and Do-Kon Daiko in Burlington, which he helped establish in 1995.

BOX OFFICE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets to the performance are $20 for the general public; $16 for senior citizens and UNCW employees; $8 for non-UNCW students; and $6 for UNCW students. Group discounts are available. Call Kenan Box Office at 910.962.3500 or 800.732.3643 outside the Wilmington area or visit www.uncw.edu/presents. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday and one hour prior to the event.

About Arts in Action Performance Series
The Arts in Action Performance Series seeks to culturally enrich, educate and entertain both students and the Wilmington community through the presentation of diverse programs featuring professional, high-quality performing artists. For more information, please visit www.uncw.edu/presents.