Topic: Tsugaru Shamisen
Masahiro Nitta
A Tsugaru shamisen concert will be held on Saturday, January 20 at the Sozenji Buddhist Temple in Montebello. The concert, funded by the Japan Foundation of Los Angeles. will feature leading Tsugaru shamisen artists from Japan and the U.S.
Performing from Japan will be King recording artist, Masahiro Nitta, one of the leading talents to emerge from this increasingly popular art form. Nitta is a two-time champion of the national Tsugaru shamisen contest held annually in Japan.
Accompanying Nitta on stage will be American Tsugaru shamisen players Kevin Kmetz and Mike Penny. Both Kmetz and Penny recently placed second and third respectively in the same annual competition held in Japan. This was the first time any foreigner had placed so high in the competition.
These three musicians have been gaining recognition in Japan as well as in the United States for both their traditional as well as their newly cultivated styles of playing which implement musical techniques from a variety of world music styles.
The concert will also feature Japanese taiko drumming with Reverend Tom Kurai of the Taiko Center of Los Angeles.
The Tsugaru shamisen is a 3-stringed lute played with a large plectrum from the region known as Tsugaru in Aomori prefecture. The Tsugaru style of shamisen is very percussive and has been incorporated in almost every type of music ranging from traditional folk to hard rock.
The concert begins at 7 pm at the Sozenji Buddhist Temple, located at 3020 W. Beverly Blvd, Montebello, CA 90640. General admission tickets are $10.00.
For reservations, call: (626) 307-3839.
