Join Definitely Poetry for its third season with innovative, cutting-edge poets and musicians. This season delivers hope and healing to the people of Haiti through a carefully cultivated program of top musicians and spoken word artists with ties to this Caribbean gem. Come together for an evening that will celebrate the beauty, vibrancy and resilience of this beloved island.

Having carved a reputation for himself as an innovative composer, performer, violinist, and band leader, Haitian-American artist Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) melds his classical music roots with his own cultural references and vibrant musical imagination. Proving that he’s "about as omnivorous as a contemporary artist gets" (New York Times). His newest album, Woodbox Beats and Balladry, was recently released on Thirsty Ear Records. Join DBR with special guests Emeline Michel -- beloved in her native country of Haiti for her skillful infusion of social, political and inspirational content into traditional rhythms and Erol Josué -- renowned for his ties to voodoo as well as for his infectious pop music.

Cave Canem is a home for the many voices of contemporary African American poetry and is deeply committed to cultivating the artistic and professional growth of African American poets. Cave Canem’s public programs showcase the work of over 150 poets, while its publications reach a national audience.
Gina Dorcely is a Haitian-born poet, translator and non-fiction writer. With numerous notable writings to her credit, she is quickly gaining fame in the literary world.
Gregory Pardlo is a highly celebrated poet with a large body of work that defies simple categorization. A mastermind who takes inspiration from everything around him, he has spanned numerous topics and genres and was the first person of color to ever win the American Poetry Review's Honickman Prize in 2007 for his book, Totem. His works have appeared in Calalloo, Gulf Coast, Lyric, Painted Bride Quarterly, Ploughshares, Seneca Review, Volt, Black Issues Book Review and on National Public Radio.
Mervyn Taylor is a Trinidad-born poet who has read his poems to diverse audiences nationally, and his work has appeared in such journals as Poetry International, St. Ann’s Review, Sulfur, Rattapallax, BigCityLit, and in the recent anthology, Chance of A Ghost. He is the author of three well-known volumes of poetry, An Island of His Own, The Goat, and the recently published, Gone Away. Taylor can also be heard reading his poetry on the CD, Road Clear, accompanied by renowned bassist, David Williams.

Artist Website:
http://www.dbrmusic.com/
http://www.emeline-michel.com/
http://www.myspace.com/princeofhaitianrootsmusic
http://www.cavecanempoets.org