The Artistry of… Curtis Nowosad
Hip hop reflects what jazz has always been, what it will always be, and what it has always reflected. In that way, the sentiments expressed and the artistic expressions are seamless. They are as gentle, or unbridled, but are always as brazenly in your face about the realities of how and where we live. Music is an expression that is alive with sensibility and teeming with attitude, coursing with messages and rhythm and pulses. Thanks to the evolution of art, the energy transcends race and spreads culture.
One of the latest vanguards of this energy is the Winnipeg native and Harlem resident Curtis Nowosad. A drummer and composer, he is leading with the message from his kit, writing fresh poetry of rhythm and beat and lyrical storytelling.
An alumnus of the Manhattan School, his bio describes him as a Canadian who “emerges as a powerful musical force for social justice.” He represents an energized collective wave of a generation’s message and culture, as keenly aware as those dynamic artists who came before have always been, and whose influence is the drive.
The Artistry of… is a weekly series that reflects on the passion and essence of an artist. It airs Wednesday evenings on Dinner Jazz with John Devenish.