CURTIS ANDREWS

Curtis Andrews is a Canadian-based musician with global persuasions. As a percussionist/composer/teacher he creates music that is informed by his many years of experience with West African, South Indian and jazz traditions yet transcends most categories. His personal musical journeys over the years have extended to villages and metropolises of Ghana, India, South Africa and Zimbabwe, where he has developed a deep knowledge of the history and performance of music from these areas, working closely with musicians and communities to form deep bonds and cultural bridges. His personal mentors have included (the late) Don Wherry, Dr. Trichy Sankaran and Kwasi Dzotefe Dunyo and continues to study and perform with these masters whenever possible. As a long-time disciple of  Dr. Trichy Sankaran, Andrews is one of the few individuals playing the mridangam at a professional level in Canada, in both South Asian and contemporary contexts (of which Sankaran is a pioneer). He leads his own ensemble, The Offering of Curtis Andrews, which plays his award-winning original music, and also holds a PhD in Ethnomusicology. At heart, Andrews is most happy as a collaborator who is driven by the desire to connect individuals and communities through the power that is music.