Kiyoshi Nagata album release party Ghosts in the Forest

Celebrate the release of taiko artist Kiyoshi Nagata's latest album Ghosts in the Forest - a collection of works, inspired by the Japanese-Canadian internment experience, which explores themes of ‘home’, identity, intergenerational trauma, self-discovery, and childhood against the backdrop of the changing seasons.

7 pm - doors open

7:30 pm - premiere screening of the documentary "Taiko: Music of the Strong" - A taiko drummer, Kiyoshi, embarks on a journey to British Columbia to visit the internment camps where his parents were once held during World War II. Through rhythm and remembrance, he seeks answers about his family’s past and the silence that shaped his identity.

8:30 pm - live performance of selected tracks from the album. Performers -  Kiyoshi Nagata, Akemi Akachi, Kevin He, Aki Takahashi, Sally He, Tatsuki Shimoda

9:00 pm - meet and greet, socializing

This recording is the culmination of a lifelong journey with taiko that began in my youth and has evolved through decades of performance, study, and creative exploration. As a Japanese Canadian artist, my work has always been rooted in both tradition and transformation—honouring the art form while seeking new ways to express its voice in a contemporary and diasporic context.

Ghosts in the Forest is a deeply personal project. It draws from the history of Japanese Canadian internment, an experience that directly shaped my family and community, yet remained largely unspoken for much of my life. It also became an unexpected catalyst for confronting and healing my own anxieties and long-standing mental health challenges, as well as the creative and performance burnout that I have struggled with.

At this stage in my career, I feel a responsibility to create work that not only advances the art form, but also contributes to a broader cultural and social dialogue. This album is my way of honouring those who came before me, giving voice to their stories, and fostering greater awareness and understanding through the power of music.

-Kiyoshi Nagata