About DRUM NIGHT

Each spring, World in Wolfville presents Drum Night, an evening of dynamic world drumming artists and ensembles from Nova Scotia and beyond - hosted by hand drummer and percussionist Ken Shorley.

DRUM NIGHT (9th annual)
Friday, April 13th, 2012 - 8 PM

This year's concert will open with the mesmerizing and dynamic MARK CURRIE on bodhran and didgeridoo. In addition to KEN SHORLEY's own powerful and lyrical solo set, he will be leading the ACADIA DRUM CHORUS in a medley of world drumming grooves. The exciting, Halifax-based Brasilian group SAMBA NOVA will close the show!

Join us at Drum Night, and set the groove for spring!

Mark Currie

From Bedford, Nova Scotia, Mark is one of Canada's top Bodhran (Celtic frame drum) players and is a respected session musician and teacher. Mark has been a member of several bands including the An Cumman Ceili Band (Irish Association of Nova Scotia), Off With Their Heads, and is a founding member of MacCrimmon's Revenge. He made annual appearances at Drumfest, the brainchild of the late percussion master Matthieu Keijser, and was a performer in the early productions of Brooks Diamond's "Drum."

Over the past twenty years Mark has shared the stage with some the East Coast's finest talent including Mary Jane Lamond, Scott MacMillan, among others. He has performed at the Lunenburg Harbour Folk Festival, Vancouver Folk Festival, Atlantic Jazz festival, and the Deep Roots Festival.

Samba Nova

Samba Nova is one of most dynamic percussion groups in the Maritimes. Whether in parades, at dances or on concert stages, Samba Nova always performs with their trademark style of energy, passion and fun.

Samba Nova is 15-25 piece percussion group that performs in the Brasilian percussion tradition Carnival Samba Batucada. It's a unique blend incorporating various elements of different styles of Brasilian music like Samba Maracatu and Samba Funk which are considered by some to be the epitome of the percussion group style. The group has been featured at numerous Nova Scotia festivals, including the Halifax Jazz Festival, Halifax Drumfest, and Word on the Street.

Samba Nova's website

Ken Shorley

Although Ken has performed as a percussionist in many situations, he is most at home performing as a hand drummer. Ken's favourite instruments are the Turkish darabuka, Arabic riq, Sundanese kendang, and several types of frame drum, from tar to bodhran to kanjira.

In recent years, Ken has appeared on stage with many of Canada's finest performers, including vocalist/composer Suba Sankaran, mezzo-soprano Paula Rockwell, percussionist Patrick Graham, Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan, autorickshaw, El Viento Flamenco, Sanctuary Trio, Zingara, the Acadia Gamelan Ensemble, and the South Indian mrdangam virtuoso, Trichy Sankaran.

Ken's compositions have been performed by TorQ Percussion, the Quey Percussion Duo, the University of North Carolina Percussion Ensemble, autorickshaw, Blue Engine String Quartet, the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra and Talambra.

Ken's website

For more information about tickets, click here!

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