An upcoming concert will feature classical music with a Japanese twist.

Hidè Takemoto, 40, of Chipping Barnet, is organising a concert at St Mary’s in Finchley Central, on April 7.

Hidè specialises in the Spanish guitar and performs “Spanish, Indian, Japanese, English, Celtic, pop and rock music”.

An aspiring musician from a young age, Hidè says: “I was a typical teenager, a wanna-be rock star.”

However, when he moved to London to study music he argued with his family back home in Japan. He explains: “None of my family plays musical instruments so it was kind of warfare between me and my parents when I told them that I’m going to live in the UK to study music, using their money.”

Moving to the UK In 1999 Hidè enrolled into SOAS University where he studied Indian music and has since blended into his music classical, rock, pop, Japanese, Spanish and Indian styles.

Since coming to London In 1999, Hidè moved to Barnet in 2007 where he teaches guitar lessons for schools around the borough.

“Sometimes I have sushi in exchange for playing guitar at Sushi restaurant in Camden Town called Sushi Waka, where I met my wife,” he reveals.

He will be performing alongside mostly Japanese and some European musicians at St Mary’s next month.

Each musician is performing different styles, such as traditional singing, Spanish drums, violins and the iconic Japanese stringed instrument, Shamisen.

Hidè adds: “I am lucky enough to have been a working musician, doing what I always wanted to do since I was 15, supported by all these amazing musicians and friends.”

For more information hideguitar.com/concerts/