Ken Shorley
Ken is a composer and percussionist based in Nova Scotia, Canada. He focuses primarily on the drumming styles and rhythmic traditions of India and the Middle East, with additional exploration into West African music. He performs on a wide variety of drums – especially the Turkish darabuka, the Nigerian udu, the Arabic riq, the South Indian kanjira, and the North Indian tabla. Like many Canadian percussionists, Ken studied intensively with the master South Indian musician Trichy Sankaran. As well, he has a background in European orchestral percussion, and is deeply obsessed with gongs, bells, cymbals and other resonant metallic sounds. A strong improviser who has never met a time signature he doesn’t like, Ken most enjoys exploring subdivision, cross-rhythm, texture and well-placed silence.
