[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN CELEBRATION OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH RECOGNIZING PAQUITO D'RIVERA 
   FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICAN JAZZ AND THE SECOND ANNUAL DUKE 
                        ELLINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL

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                          HON. XAVIER BECERRA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 29, 2006

  Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Paquito 
D'Rivera who has been selected as Artistic Director for this year's 
Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage 
Month, we salute the festival's acknowledgement of the contributions 
made by Latino artists. Paquito D'Rivera is a world-renowned jazz 
instrumentalist who embodies the diverse soul of today's modem 
musician. His ability to fuse South American and Caribbean sounds with 
that of American jazz is creative, unique and inspirational to all of 
us.
  Mr. D'Rivera's proclivity toward music was apparent at a young age. 
Raised in Cuba, his father was his music instructor. By the age of 10, 
he was performing with the National Theater Orchestra of Havana. He 
continued making his mark in Cuba, playing both the clarinet and 
saxophone with the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra and co-founding 
the Orchestra Cubana de Musica Moderna and the group Irakere, a Cuban 
jazz band known for its mixture of Latin sounds and musical 
improvisation. Irakere impressed jazz enthusiasts across the world with 
its ground-breaking style, going on to win a Grammy in 1979 for Best 
Latin Recording.
  So that he could fully express his musical talent, Mr. D'Rivera 
defected to the United States in 1981. With the assistance of fellow 
jazz musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, he began performing in New York 
City and released his first album Paquito Blowin in 1981 and Mariel in 
1982. The success of these two albums launched him into the national 
spotlight. His career blossomed and in 1988, Mr. D'Rivera was invited 
to join the United Nations Orchestra to perform jazz fused with Latin 
rhythms and sounds.
  Paquito D'Rivera is truly a diverse musician. With commissions as a 
classical composer, he continues to be involved in a wide range of 
projects and music. In 1989, he composed ``New York Suite'' for the 
Gerald Danovich Saxophone Quartet and ``Aires Tropicales'' for the 
Aspen Wind Quintet. In 1999, D'Rivera participated in a series of 
programs in collaboration with Germany's Chamber Orchestra Werneck 
entitled ``D'Rivera Meets Mozart''. He continues to play with the 
Paquito D'Rivera Big Band and is an Artist in Residence at the New 
Jersey Performing Arts Center. For over a decade, Mr. D'Rivera has been 
the Artistic Director of the Festival International de Jazz en el Tambo 
in Uruguay. In 2003, Mr. D'Rivera received a Doctorate Honoris Causa in 
Music from the Berklee College of Music and made history when he became 
the first artist to win a Latin Grammy in both Classical and Latin Jazz 
categories. He has amassed seven Grammy awards to date and has over 30 
solo albums. Additionally, his many solo performances include 
performances with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Brooklyn 
Philharmonic, and the St. Luke's Chamber Orchestra. Internationally, he 
has performed with the London Royal Symphony, the Costa Rican National 
Symphony, and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, among others.

  Paquito D'Rivera is a gifted writer and the author of his 
autobiography, ``My Sax Life, a Memoir.'' In his autobiography, Mr. 
D'Rivera gives us a glimpse of the world through the eyes of a gifted 
jazz artist. Introduced to literature by his father, he also penned the 
novel ``Oh, La Habana.'' In 2005 he was awarded the National Medal of 
Arts, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence.
  In January of 2005, Mr. D'Rivera celebrated 50 years in the music 
industry and 24 years in the United States. He continues to inspire 
jazz musicians in the U.S. and throughout the world. Mr. Speaker, 
during this Hispanic Heritage month, as we celebrate the valuable 
contributions Latinos make to this nation, we thank Mr. D'Rivera today 
for his brilliant work and tireless efforts to ensure that the Second 
Annual Duke Ellington Jazz Festival continues to successfully bring 
jazz to the Nation's Capitol.

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