Nagata Shachu Taiko
NAGATA SHACHU TAIKO
NAGATA SHACHU, a Japanese-Canadian drumming troupe from Toronto, brings new traditions to the Taiko. The mixed ensemble uses a vast array of drums including the massive O Daiko, gongs, bells, wooden clappers, shakers and bamboo flutes, combining thunderous drumbeats, intricate rhythms, and dynamic movements on stage. For the 2026-2027 season they will be performing their new show POSSIBILITIES, featuring five new compositions.
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For the 2026-2027 season, Nagata Shachu Taiko will be performing their new show “Possibilities,” featuring five new, original compositions. They have Open Availability.
Nagata Shachu, based in Toronto, Canada, has enthralled audiences with its mesmerizing and heart-pounding performances of the Japanese drum (taiko) since its formation in 1998. The ensemble has toured widely throughout Canada, the US and Italy performing in theatres, concert halls, and major music festivals.
For the 2026-2027 season, Nagata Shachu Taiko will be premiering their new show “Possibilities,” featuring five new, original compositions.
While rooted in the folk drumming traditions of Japan, Nagata Shachu’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. Under the direction of Kiyoshi Nagata, the ensemble has become renowned for its exacting, straightforward yet physically demanding performances as well as for its diverse repertoire. Their playing is the combination of unbounded spirit with the highest levels of musicianship and discipline. The result is an unforgettable experience that is both powerful in expression and heartfelt in its sincerity.
Nagata Shachu has the unique distinction of being the only group outside of Japan with the sponsorship of four major Japanese drum manufacturers. Since 1999, the ensemble has rehearsed in its own fully equipped and dedicated taiko studio.
In addition to having recorded four CDs of original music, Nagata Shachu produces its own annual concert where it premieres new works and often collaborates with guest artists.
Combining thunderous, primal drumbeats with subtle, intricate rhythms, the ensemble is able to produce a wide spectrum of sound. Featuring a vast array of Japanese taiko (including the massive O-Daiko), gongs, bells, wooden clappers, shakers and bamboo flutes, Nagata Shachu will take you on a musical journey beyond all borders.
Kiyoshi Nagata (taiko,shinobue, and shakuhachi)
Kiyoshi Nagata, the ensemble’s artistic director, is Canada’s preeminent taiko soloist who has been performing in a career that spans twenty-five years. His principal studies were with Daihachi Oguchi (as artistic director and performer of the Toronto-based, Suwa Daiko group from 1982 to 1992) and with Kodo (as an apprentice from 1993 to 1994). With the assistance of a Chalmers Performing Arts Training Grant in 1999, Kiyoshi studied classical percussion with Paul Houle at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
Since 1998 Kiyoshi has taught a credit course in taiko at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music. In September 2003, he began teaching a public course at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. For eight years, he instructed two community groups, Isshin Daiko in Toronto and Do-Kon Daiko in Burlington, which he helped establish in 1995. Kiyoshi is also regularly invited by universities and taiko groups to conduct workshops and present lectures.
In 1994, Kiyoshi founded the cross-cultural percussion ensemble, Humdrum, whose debut Toronto performance was ranked fourth in Now Magazine’s “Top Ten Concerts of 1995”. He has composed and performed taiko music for dance, theatre, film and radio and continues to collaborate with artists from all genres of music including traditional Japanese instrumentalists.
