Performing for more than 40 years, Grammy nominee Paoli Mejías is a distinguished master percussionist from Puerto Rico, ranked among the best in both Latin jazz, salsa, and rock. 

Paoli’s resume includes top artists, including Tito Puente, Dave Samuels, Dave Valentín, Paquito d’Rivera, Chick Corea, David Sánchez, Danilo Pérez, Luis Enrique, Marc Anthony, La India, Tito Puente, Seis del Solar, and Eddie Palmieri with whom he toured the largest jazz festivals for more than a decade.  

Paoli’s discography as side-man includes more than 60 commercial recordings, notable among them: Grammy nominated “Acuarela de Tambores” by Alex Acuña, and Grammy Award winner “Masterpiece” by Eddie Palmieri and Tito Puente. Paoli also recorded on Carlos Santana’s first-ever Spanish-language album, Corazón, and the HBO two-part special Santana-Corazón: Live from Mexico: Live It To Believe It. 

As a bandleader, Paoli fuses straight-ahead jazz with African, Mediterranean, and Caribbean folkloric rhythms to create a new dimension of Latin jazz that is global, energetic, and modern. In 2005, his first solo CD “Mi Tambor” was nominated for a Latin Grammy award. He has 3 other independent productions: Transcend, Jazzambia, Abriendo Camino, and a Blu-ray concert performance De Jazzambia a Mi Tambor El Concierto. 

Since 2013, Paoli has had the honor of performing around the world as the conga player for the legendary Carlos Santana band.  

As an endorser for Latin Percussion, Paoli has designed two lines of congas bearing his name: Jazzambia (2018) and Balance (2023) Signature Series congas. He is also an endorser for Remo, Sabian, and Vater. 

While not touring with Santana, Paoli continues to work on his own creative projects.