COPUS (Creation of Peace Under Stars) is a rap jazz fusion ensemble based in San Francisco.
Formed by poet Royal Kent and composer Wendy Loomis in 1998, the group has performed at clubs, theaters, and festivals in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Nashville, Atlanta, Boston, and New Orleans. COPUS has presented quality poetry and music productions across the United States at legendary venues including The Bitter End and Feinstein's 54 in New York, SFJazz Center and 1015 Folsom in San Francisco, and The Cutting Edge Festival in New Orleans.
Current Band Members Include: Wendy Loomis/Composer/Pianist; Royal Kent/Poet/Spoken Word Artist; Patrick Mahon/Electric/Upright Bass and Levon Washington/Drums.
The ensemble was nominated for ‘best jazz song’ by the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, was honored with ‘best spoken word’ by the Clouzine International Music Awards, and won the W.A.M. Award for ‘best social justice/peace song’
“COPUS could become legendary if given the opportunity to thrive!” -Michael Allison, Music Critic
Béla Anton Leoš Fleck is an American banjo player. An acclaimed virtuoso, he is an innovative and technically proficient pioneer and ambassador of the banjo, playing music from bluegrass, jazz, classical, rock and various world music genres. He is best known for his work with the bands New Grass Revival and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. Fleck has won 17 Grammy Awards and been nominated 39 times.
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Mộng-Lan is a Vietnamese-born American writer, visual artist, musician, dancer, and educator. Former Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, Fulbright Scholar, she has published seven books of poetry & artwork, three chapbooks, has won numerous prizes such as the Juniper Prize and the Pushcart Prize. Poems have been included in international and national anthologies such as Best American Poetry Anthology and several Norton anthologies. Her books include: Song of the Cicadas ; Why is the Edge Always Windy?; Tango, Tangoing: poems & art; One Thousand Minds Brimming, 2016; and Dusk Aflame: poems & art, 2018. Her latest music album releases include Arrabal de Tango: Tango por Siempre, voice & guitar, 2020; Perfumas de Amor, de Argentina y Viet Nam, , 2018; New Orleans of My Heart, jazz piano, 2019; Dreaming Orchid: Poetry & Jazz Piano, 2016. www.monglan.com
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