Shona mbira music of Zimbabwe and the Ewe vocal music of Ghana are being reimagined by the accompaniment of a string quartet!
An innovative and unique event featuring three of Vancouver’s seasoned “world” music artists who will arrange the music of Zimbabwe and Ghana for performance with a string quartet. It is a chance to experience the introspective and intimate aspects of African music with a combination of textures and timbres that do not often meet.
Featuring:
Kurai Mubaiwa (Zimbabwe): mbira, voice, percussion
Kofi Gbolonyo (Ghana): voice, percussion
Curtis Andrews (Canada): percussion, voice, arrangements
Meredith Bates (Canada): violin
Sarah Kwok (Canada): viola
Peggy Lee (Canada): cello
Joshua Zubot (Canada): violin
This is a presentation of Time Will Tell Arts and Caravan World Rhythms
Kofi Gbolonyo is a Ghanaian musician, composer, educator, ethnomusicologist and multi-instrumentalist grew up in along the Ghana-Togo border in West Africa where he learned the traditional pedagogy, music, and dances of the Ewe. He is an ethnomusicologist, music educator, performer, and a scholar and a Professor of Ethnomusicology and African Studies and the Founding Director of the UBC African Ensemble at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, as well as holding a position at Capilano University. He is also the Co-Director of Adanu Habobo, a semi-professional West African music and dance ensemble; the Director of the Orff-Afrique International Summer Course in Ghana; and the Founder and Director of the Nunya Academy.
http://www.nunyaacademy.com/our-team
Curtis Andrews is a Vancouver-based musician with global persuasions. A percussionist/composer/teacher, he creates music that is informed by his many years of experience with numerous music traditions of the world. His personal musical journeys over the years have extended to villages and metropolises of Ghana, Benin, India, South Africa and Zimbabwe, and he has developed a deep knowledge of the history and performance of music from these areas. His personal mentors have included (the late) Don Wherry (1997-2001), Frederick Kwasi Dunyo (1998-present) and mridangam maestro Trichy Sankaran (1999-present). He continues to study and perform with these maestros whenever possible.
He leads his own ensemble – The Offering of Curtis Andrews – to play his original award-winning music, explores Carnatic music and bharatanatyamwith various vocalists and dancers, plays mbira, marimba and drums with Zhambai Trio and Zimbamoto (both groups focusing on the music of Zimbabwe), and co-leads Adanu Habobo (performing traditional music and dance from Ghana). A recipient of numerous grants to study, compose, and produce his own projects, he is also a keen collaborator and has toured and recorded with dozens of ensembles from St. John’s to Vancouver, as well as internationally, in a plethora of musical styles.
Kurai Blessing Mubaiwa is from the Shona people of Zimbabwe. With an exceptional interest as a young child he began playing mbira (thumb piano) at the age of six and soon he began his journey as a young child singing, dancing, playing mbira and drums in traditional ceremonies and other village gatherings. After moving to the city at the age of 18, Mubaiwa soon traveled the world with his mbira as an actor and a musician. Kurai currently teaches singing, marimba, mbira and drumming workshops to children and adults. In his solo performance he sings, dances and plays mbira, marimba, drums and other percussion instruments. Kurai also continues to perform as the lead musician with the groups Zimbamoto and Zhambai Trio, collaborates with Jacky Yenga, is a member of the BC World Music Collective, and is perhaps the most accomplished and original mbira player in Canada.