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 The Jazz en Clave Festival was held at HotHouse in Chicago recently, and it was a tremendous success. Performers included the Caribbean Jazz Project with Dave Samuels, Paoli Mejías Latin Jazz Quintet, Paquito D'Rivera trio with Fareed Haque on guitar, Dos Claves Orchestra, La Tira, Arturo O' Farril, and Jerry Gonzalez & Fort Apache Band.
"The festival's biggest surprise was Paoli Mejias and His Quintet. Mejías quintet came from Puerto Rico to participate in the festival and it was their debut performance in Chicago. This group took everyone by surprise with their musical skills and energy in their interpretation of modern jazz and fusing it with Caribbean and Latin music. Paoli Mejías is truly becoming a recognizable figure as one of the most talented percussionist on the planet. This group brought the house down." - Carlos Flores, PuertoRicanChicago.Com Newsletter
 Paoli also gave a free workshop open to the public at the Puerto Rican cultural center "El Batey" sponsored by LP and Sabian. The center was filled to capacity, with a mixed crowd of percussionists, music aficionados, community leaders and youth. Paoli's words, and of course his playing, offered an inspiring message to everyone in attendance that emphasized the importance of believing in one's dream, and that his has come true because of his dedication, perseverance, hard work, and many hours of practice.
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