Meet You at the Crossroads: A Salon Concert

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A musical meeting place for African American gospel and Somali blues
Sunday, April 27, 2025 – 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Stephen B. Humphrey Theater, Saint John’s University

J.D. Steele (vocalist and conductor) Ahmed Ismail Yusuf (writer-musician), and David Jordan Harris (narrator)

This concert is led by celebrated vocalist and conductor J.D. Steele and writer-musician Ahmed Ismail Yusuf featuring an enthralling mix of local gospel singers and Somali poetry woven with rhyme, rhythm, and melody. Meet You at the Crossroads is both encounter and collaboration, in which two musical cultures and the communal traditions that gave life to them are explored in conversation during and after the concert. Musician David Jordan Harris narrates and encourages discussion with the musicians and audience. This program will also be presented on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. at Schoenecker Center Performance Hall at the University of St. Thomas.

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Ahmed Ismail Yusuf was raised in a nomadic upbringing. He has a BS in creative writing and psychology from Trinity College; and an MPA (Master of Public Affairs) from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. He is the author of three books: Gorgorkii Yimi, a collection of short stories in Somali, The Lion’s Binding Oath, a collection of short stories in English, and Somalis in Minnesota. His short stories appeared in Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali studies and Mizna: An Arab-American literary magazine. His play A Crack in the Sky was produced at the History Theater in Saint Paul. His mental health articles have appeared in the Journal of Muslim Mental Health and other publications.

A man with short curly hair is wearing a pale green jacket and a black shirt. He has a neutral expression and is looking directly at the camera. The background is a soft, light-colored gray.

J.D. Steele exploded onto the Minnesota music scene in the mid-1980s. He began his career singing and arranging jingles for local and national spots. At Purdue University, he organized and directed the African American Cultural Center ensemble and began writing and arranging original compositions. Mr. Steele and his dynamic vocal siblings, The Steeles, have garnered every major music award and accolade the state has had to offer. In 1993, the Steeles released their first record. He has produced, performed and recorded six additional Steeles albums and has gone on to write, produce, perform and record with Prince, Donald Fagen, George Clinton, Fine Young Cannibals, the Sounds of Blackness and many other artists.

A man with gray hair stands with his arms crossed, smiling at the camera. He is wearing a maroon and black checkered shirt. The background features a rustic stone wall with various sized rocks in different colors, including brown, gray, and orange.

David Jordan Harris, a graduate of the University of Chicago, is artistic director and co-founder of the Twin Cities-based performance ensemble Voices of Sepharad. Integrating his skills as a singer, actor, and dancer, he has appeared as guest artist with many ensembles. Harris was the founding music director of Shir Tikvah Congregation where he led music for 21 years and was the founding executive director of Rimon: The Minnesota Jewish Arts Council. Harris has been interfaith arts special consultant for the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies at the University of St. Thomas and Saint John’s University since 2010.