The University Of Saint Joseph Hosts THE MERCY SUITE By Tomás Donker and Yusef Komunyakaa

The University of Saint Joseph will host a performance of The Mercy Suite by Tomás Donker and Pulitzer prize winning Yusef Komunyakaa on Friday, Mar. 29, 2019 at 7:30pm in the Hoffman Auditorium at the University's West Hartford Campus, 1678 Asylum Ave.

The Mercy Suite is a musical performance spearheaded poet Yusef Komunyakaa and musician Tomás Doncker. Originally brought to life in late 2007, the duo has returned to The Mercy Suite's collection of moving, deeply emotional songs in our tumultuous era. The songs paint heart-wrenching images of the working-class experience, the horrors of war, and loneliness. At its core, The Mercy Suite is a melodic expression of human empathy and optimism in the face of adversity. Komunyakaa's touching words, Donker's heartfelt musical arrangement and vocals, as well as the powerful rhythms of the musical backing group, True Groove All-Stars, gorgeously intertwine with one another, reminding us of the beauty of collaboration even in the darkest of times.

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Yusef Komunyakaa uses personal experiences, jazz-inspired rhythms, and casual language as the basis of his poetic vision. His narratives boldly illustrate his childhood memories in the South and juxtapose nature and war. His 1988 book Dien Cai Dau is a multifaceted account of his time as an African-American solider in Vietnam. Yusef won the 2011 Wallace Stevens award for his poetry and was the New York State Poet Laureate from 2014 to 2016.

"To be in the same room with Yusef and Tomás is a life-changing, soul-rocking experience and we could not be more honored to share this work with the Hartford region," says Autorino Center director Steven Raider Ginsburg.

Tomás Doncker is a musician and the CEO of New York City-based True Groove Records. CNN has credited him as the creator of the "Global Soul" genre. Getting his start as a guitarist in New York's chaotic No Wave scene, Donker has become a world-renowned veteran of the R&B, blues, and rock genres. As a studio producer and songwriter, he has collaborated with artists including Bootsy Collins and Yoko Ono.

Tickets are $17 for adults and $10 for children/students with valid ID. Tickets can be purchased at the Frances Driscoll Box Office: 860.231.5555 or online at tickets.usj.edu.

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