The 15th annual Sound Symposium is under way. It is amazing. If you do not check any of it out, your life will be less beautiful than it could be.
Visit www.soundsymposium.com and choose something....anything.
And if anyone wants an mbira lesson with Kurai just drop me a line. And if you want any lessons with me, do the same..I am here in St. John's until Aug.2
June 21, 2010 I'm back!! (sorry for neglecting you website)
Well, seems like I forgot I had a website since I got back from Ghana a few weeks ago. The two months were amazing and intense...major learning experience. The Live & Learn Tour
was a great success and I am very eager to do it again next April, with newfound knowledge and experience. The people who came all had life-enriching and life-changing experiences, I'll post some of their words soon and post pics too (though I lost all of mine!!).
My own time spent studying in Benin was extremely eye-opening and mind-expanding. I felt like a child of rhythm at times learning a rhythm called zinli. Do a search on it try and find the one...any one. Will post some vids soon on that as well as photos from the whole trip.
As for now, I'm slowly settling back into Canadian life. Soon after arriving I was hi-jacked by The Idlers and went on a 8 day tour of B.C. which was in a word......awesome. Great crowds and amazing scenery...Tofino blew my mind. What a beach. In 10 days I will be off to The Rock for the whole month of July to play a wack of shows and will bring Kurai Mubaiwa with me...gonna be good times. And a plethora of other awesome musical activities are also planned on The Rock, my own group, Idlers action, Dzolali...keep watching my listings.
But before I leave for NL, I get a chance to play my own music with some great musicians here in Vancouver!!!...see the listings for more deets.
Mar.12, 2010 Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like...
Bananas!!! Wow....how did that happen? Been two months since I posted any "news". Maybe it is because I have had lots of news!
Have started a great new trio with Kurai Mubaiwa, a highly talented mbira/marimba (and several other instruments) player from Zimbabwe. The trio is called "Zhambai" (which means "scream" in Shona) and is composed of myself, Kurai and a great percussionist/dancer named Navaro Franco. We play straight-up traditional and some contemporary music on mbira, marimba and hosho. Very "trancy" and fulfilling. Check us out sometime.
Olympics have come and gone...I am relatively unscathed. Got a few gigs out of it though which was okay. Other than that I just read the headlines and stayed away from the crowds.
Gee, what else? The Ghana trip is full with 10 confirmed people...it's gonna be awesome. My visa is now being processed and preparations are being made on the ground over there. I was also lucky to get a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to fund the study protion of my trip. I'll hang in Ghana for awhile and then spend some time in mysterious Benin, going deeper into that musical culture.
My jazz ensemble is slowly coming together as well (rehearsing is proving harder than I thought) and I have a few gigs planned for June when I come back from Ghana. July will be spent back in NL...best time to be there....a Sound Symposium year!!!
Stay tuned....
Jan.18, 2010 A new year...a new page
Twenty-Ten....has a nice ring to it. Am looking forward to what it will bring as I have a good feeling about it.
Happy New Year/Decade to you reading this!
Been back in BC for just over a week now and am getting some things on the move. One major thing is a series of workshops I have been taking with a visiting master Korean drummer named Kim Dong-won. This music is super funky and invigorating...shamanic ritual music in fact and it is interestingly, mostly in a 5-beat cycle..very cool.
Will try my hand at some workshops of my own at the end of the month. Depending on the response I may try for regular episodes....not enough Ghanaian music in these parts. As elsewhere, the djembe dominates...gotta bring some balance to the scene if you know what I mean.
And slowly, I am finally getting the Japan section of this site on the go. Check it out the Japan page for a taste. More to come.
Dec.26, 2009 Another award!!
Last week I was selected as the winner of the 2009 Atlantis Music Prize!! This award is patterned on the Canada-wide Polaris Music Prize , and is given annually to the best full-length album from Newfoundland and Labrador, judged solely on artistic merit, without regard to genre or record sales.
An independent panel of 40 journalists, musicians, and people recognized for their knowledge and appreciation of local music submitted their top picks for the best album released between November 1, 2008 and October 31, 2009.
Details about the whole thing are here at The Scope magazine website. The Scope is an awesome local arts/politics/life magazine that is doing much to promote community and communication about what goes in St. John's and Newfoundland as a whole. They sponsored the Atlantis prize.
Dec.17, 2009 Some new reviews
A couple of new reviews of my album from Wholenote Magazine (Toronto informative music mag) and Percussive Notes (journal of the Percussive Arts Society).
Dec.08, 2009 A slew of December gigs
I'm back in Newfoundland from Dec.10 to Jan.8 and playing a bunch of different gigs which I am very excited about. Not the least of which is a show with my group, my brother Duane's group and then Duane and I joining forces for a set with our good friend Patrick Boyle.
I'll also be holding a couple of fundraisers for the worthy Dzogadze Education Development Fund, which if you do not know about you can go here to find out more.
In other news, I just played an awesome show this past Sunday with a great band called Zimbamoto fronted by my friend Kurai Mubaiwa from Zimbabwe. We tore up the stage as we opened up for the amazing singer from Zim named Chiwoniso.
Good times had by all.
Another interesting note is that a little video I was in is getting spread around the interweb. A group called Foreign Policy Camp made the whole thing and it is quite interesting. The group itself has a mandate to stimulate debate, connectivity, change and thought about the way Canada and the world relates to each other. For this video, they had various people in different parts of the world give a line about what they think Canada needs to change about itself.
I was in Japan when I did mine (via Skype!)
Dec.7, 2009 ECMA awards nomination!!
A few days ago it was announced that I am up for an ECMA (East Coast Music Association) award. My record is up for "Instrumental Album of the Year".
The awards happen in March sometime.
We'll see what happens. For now, I'll forget about it unless something happens.
Well it seems somebody out there likes me. I have been given "Male Artist of the Year" and "Instrumental Album of the Year" by MusicNL!!! This past weekend MusicNL (the music industry association of Newfoundland/Labrador) had their annual gala award show/"pat each other on the back" night. It is usually a good place to see friends and drink a few beers.
I don't usually partake in much industry dealings but I figured since my record was funded by MusicNL I should particpate and put myself on the ballot.
Looks like it was a good idea as I won 2 out of 3 awards I was nominated for.
Thanks to all who made it possible.
So what does this mean?.......
I dunno.
In wider reaching news a track of mine has been has been included in a very worthwhile project called Tia Anita. It is spearheaded by a friend, Anne Stadlmair, who I went to university with at York U in Toronto. "The organization's mandate is to foster an awareness of grass-roots initiatives assisting orphans affected by aids - primarily in africa - while promoting a wide range of canadian music talent from the folk tradition to world music".
One of my tracks, "Olive Ridley's Lament" was included in their latest fundraising CD entitled "Harambee". For more info check it out by clicking here. Very cool.
Also, I'll be playing a cool gig on Dec.6 with Zimbamoto, a Zimbabwean group fronted by my good friend Kurai Blessing Mubaiwa. We'll be opening for fiery Zimbabwean singer Chiwoniso when she comes to Vancouver. For more info visit Caravan World Rhythms.
Nov.13, 2009 Back from Japan
Wow. What to say about this past little trip to Japan with The Discounts. We went all over Japan, played for a bunch of different crowds, saw some amazing places, ate some even more ineteresting food and took some great pics too. Not sure when I'll go back but if I can I will.
September 21, 2009 The present, the future, new pics/vids and a new page
Life in Vancouver, BC is treating me well. Me and Anu have been here for just over 3 months now and I’m getting a feel for the place. Making lots of friends as well and recognizing faces in different places that I venture…..which is nice.
My musical life here is of course different, but that is partially because my goal is not to be exactly what I was back in NL.
I have met a talented mbira player from Zimbabwe who I get along with nicely and we are planning some things. Also made a great connection with a gifted South Indian vocalist which has been a great experience. I have also found a great Ghanaian dancer who lives here and am slowly re-incarnating my drum/dance ensemble (Dzolali) on this coast.
The only thing I wish to make come alive is a group to perform my own music. But since I’m picky about who I play that music with, it is taking longer than I had hoped and (as I have been warned) people here seem to respond to your queries, shall I say, in a relaxed fashion.
Upcoming: 1) in Newfoundland from Oct.7-19 to play some shows on Oct.9, 15,16,17th.
2) From Oct.21-Nov.2 I’ll be heading to Japan with The Discounts.
Believe it….NL arts funding in effect!!!
3) Idlers will be releasing our much anticipated (and awesome sounding) new record in November 2009. YIS!!
Arrived on the night of the 15th and am starting to get a handle on the place....having a bike helps...and a map. I'll be fat and broke soon because there are so many awesome restaurants, the rent is crazy expensive and I'm living off savings with no immediate work prospects..must find work. Meeting some musicians and networking a bit to get the lowdown but it will take time to get busy anywhere near what I was in St. John's.
On the hunt for a house as well. If you know anything let me know.
Feeling good to be here though....the future is wide open.
Lots of things happening, I think I can find a place for myself with some time....main goal is find musicians to form a group with to play my music, maybe teach a bit as well as there are no mridangam players here or many people playing anything South Indian from what I can gather.....little to no Ghanaian music either.
And mountains.....
If you are reading this and are in Van City drop me a line.
curtisandrews(at)gmail.com
I would be lying though if I said I did not miss Newfoundland right now ;-)
May 25, 2009 UPCOMING SHOW
The Offering of Curtis Andrews
(playing world jazz niceness ;-)
Thursday, June 4th
Petro Canada Hall, MUN School of Music
8pm showtime
$10/PWYC
Tickets at the door.
Limited seating.
Curtis Andrews: drums, mrdangam, mbira
Bill Brennan: vibes/piano
Terry Campbell: trumpet
Chris Harnett: saxes
Brad Jefford: guitar
Rob Power: vibes/percussion
Josh Ward: bass
We'll be playing 1 long set of tunes from my album as well as a new composition I wrote for my good friend Kobla Adukpo in Ghana. Also be playing my arrangement of a traditional Zimbabwean mbira tune.
Do come by and grace us all with your attentive ears and clapping hands.
I'll be playing on June 12/13 with The Idlers at The Ship as well....but that will be a late night affair of course.
There is also a potential jazz gig this Friday (May 29) at The Rose and Thistle with the Brad Jefford Trio. But as of writing this, that has not been confirmed.
Further, may also play a set of improvised jazz with Grant King(guitar) and Dave Bridger(bass) on CHMR (93.5FM), live in the studio, this Thursday(May 27) from 9-11. A show called The New Spin hosted by Dashiell Brown.
All for now....please spread the word about June 4th whichever way you can...internet, telephone, telepathy, pigeon.
May 16, 2009 BACK IN NEWFOUNDLAND
Greetings one and all,
Just a short note (that is a change!!!) to let you all know that I have reached Canada safely and am now residing back in St. John's, Newfoundland for the next month.
My last few days in Ghana were very fulfilling and I was lucky enough to discover some wonderful things, some of which I have attached in picture form.
Spent just a coupla days in Toronto and could not could not see or contact everyone that I know and then went to The Rock.
I'll be in St. John's until early June when I move to BC for awhile...still looking for a place to live there.....and any kind of gig. So if you are in the know, let me know.
March 25, 2009 "ENGAGING, UPLIFTING AND WARMLY HUMAN"
Exclaim Magazine have a nice review of my new album in their new issue - read it here.
NEW LETTER AND PHOTOS FROM GHANA
I posted new photos from my trip to Ghana, where I currently am. The Dzogadze school is open and I have travelled there for the opening.
I got the call two weeks ago from Ledzi saying that they have finished. Thanks to everyone who helped with the fundraising over the past two years. There some pics in the Dzogadze gallery and I will be adding more in the near future. Tax-receipts are in process!!!
Also, I will be returning to Ghana on Feb.23 and returning in May. I plan to spend more time in the Volta and also visit Togo and Benin. Keep watching this space as I will have fresh pics of the school and other things I come across while there.
February 17, 2009 SHOW MOVED TO SATURDAY
The performance scheduled for Wednesday, February 18th had to be moved to Saturday, February 21st. All times and other details remain the same:
Here is a chance to hear a set from the recently released album of Curtis Andrews and a set by Dzolali who will be playing traditional music from Ghana and Zimbabwe.
There will also be some collaboration between the two groups and a chance for you to dance as well!!
Sadly, this will be the last time for awhile to hear any music like this (and there is no other in the city) as Curtis will be back in Ghana from Feb.23 until May.
Tickets at Fred's Records, Living Planet and Johnny Ruth...
$15...general admission
$10...students/seniors/under-employed
$5....kids/unemployed
Bring yourself and a friend.
This is event is all ages
A slew of December gigs
UPCOMING SHOW
