Music

Linz Kenyon

Lindsay ‘Linz’ Kenyon is a writer, composer, actor, and musician. He has released four albums, published poems and stories, acted in film, theatre, and radio, and written many plays. Kenyon grew up on a cattle ranch in British Columbia, and has used his wrangling skills in a few theatre productions. He has written, performed, and […]

Sally Nakamura

Satoshi (Sally) Nakamura was born on Powell Street in Vancouver. He enjoyed a varied artistic life as a singer, actor and entertainer. In Vancouver, he took voice training with Gideon Hicks, a well-known baritone, conductor, and music teacher. He also loved to sing popular songs and would entertain at the Japanese language school. He could […]

Bruce Tatemichi

Bruce was born in Montreal in 1953, and began piano lessons at five years old. In high school he first studied the clarinet, and soon after the saxophone. Along the way, he taught himself how to play the drums, bass and the flute. Bruce is a jazz musician, but he plays many styles including classical, […]

Sam Furuya

Sam Furuya was a Nisei singer who was active before, during, and after the Second World War. His trademark song was Someone to Watch Over Me, and he settled in Toronto after the war.

Roy Kusano

Roy Kusano is a Sansei country-folk singer who was billed as the ‘Yodelling Cowboy.’ He was active in the 1960s era of the Yorkville Village in Toronto, and well-known for his rendition of Gordon Lightfoot’s Steel Rail Blues. He is also a past president of the Toronto Buddhist Church.

Kumano

Kumano was an early synth music artist who released an album in 1980 called simply Kumano. His father was Roy Kumano. His song I’ll Cry for You made the US and UK dance charts. The song peaked at 24 on the US dance charts.

Sansei Choir

The Sansei Choir was a group formed at Toronto’s Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC) in 1964 by Harry Kumano. The choir originally contained children from the ages of 5-12, and was formed from a desire to provide a social outlet for young Sansei in Toronto. They performed at most events at the JCCC, and some […]

The Embers

The Embers were a Nisei rock ensemble that performed at many Japanese Canadian community picnics and dances. They featured musician Yo Mori (an NAJC Toronto stalwart), and were particularly well-known for their rendition of Kansas City.

The Asia Minors

The Asia Minors were an all-Asian Canadian band who played in Toronto in the 1960s. The band was formed by the Lumb family, a prominent Chinatown family: it was sponsored by restaurateur Jean Lumb and the members included three of her children. Other members at different points in the band’s lifetime included Alan Kondo, Terry […]

Grace Terakita

Grace Fujie Terakita was a well-known Nisei soprano singer before, during, and after the Second World War. When living in BC before the war, she recorded her trademark song Shinna no Yoru (China Nights). She lived in the Winnipeg area after the war. Her accompanist in BC was Vernon Hakkaku. In Manitoba, Terakita sang with […]

Ian Nishio

Ian Nishio was a bass player who recorded and performed on several recordings with Terry Watada as well as with the heavy metal band Snow Axe in Toronto, including their album We’re All Different.

John Saisho

John Saisho is a saxophone player who has recorded several albums with Terry Watada.

Kunio Suyama

Kunio Suyama is an actor, singer, and emcee who has been highly active in the Toronto Buddhist Church. He is especially well-known for his role as emcee at the annual Obon Festival in Toronto. Suyama put on and performed in many shibai plays at the Toronto Buddhist Church over the years. He was also a […]

Garry Kawasaki

Garry Kawasaki is a musician who played bass and provided vocals for the Asia Minors, an Asian Canadian top 40s rock band that played in Toronto in the 1960s. He collaborated many times with Terry Watada, including appearing in his album Runaway Horses and several other recordings. He has also performed with the band the […]

Archie Nishihama

Akira ‘Archie’ Nishihama is a musician and composer. He studied music in Osaka, and composed several songs for schools in Japan, as well as the kohka (school song) for the Toronto Japanese Language School. He is also well known for his arrangement of the song Wonderful Canada for the Sansei Choir in Toronto. Nishihama was […]