Fulcrum Point New Music Project

Join us for an afternoon of music, passion, and rhythm as the KAIA String Quartet takes the stage for Hilton’s On Deck Series at the DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago- Magnificent Mile.

A Tale of Tango explores the rich emotional world of tango, tracing its journey from the streets of the Río de la Plata to the concert stage. Featuring music that celebrates the beauty and diversity of Latinoamérica, this program showcases the expressive power of the string quartet through one of the world’s most captivating musical traditions.

📍 DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago – Magnificent Mile
🗓️ Sunday, July 12 $25 tickets at the door
⏰ 4:00–5:00 PM

We hope you’ll join us for this afternoon performance featuring special guest Victoria Moreira and the KAIA String Quartet.

Tafa Mi-Soleil Evenie Rose Thafaïna Saint-Louis, better known by her stage name Tafa Mi-Soleil, was born in 1998, in Fort Jacques, Haiti. She is a rising star in Haitian music, with a unique voice and a deep commitment to promoting women’s and minority rights. In addition to her music, Mi-Soleil is involved in theater and painting. She is even about to launch her own fashion house to explore her passion for haute couture. 

In 2023, Mi-Soleil was selected as “Best Female Variety Artist” by Haiti’s Ticket Magazine and “Best Female Artist of the Year” at the Haitian Music Awards. In addition to her music, Tafa Mi-Soleil is involved in theater and visual arts. She has been featured in various cultural events, including the Festival Nègès Mawon, where she contributed to discussions on social issues. Her work often reflects themes of resilience and cultural heritage, as seen in songs like *Lakou*, which highlights traditional healing and the power of nature. With her diverse talents and impactful music, Tafa Mi-Soleil continues to rise as a prominent figure in Haitian arts and culture.

Join us TOMORROW for until an unforgettable evening of music, dance, food, and connection!

Join us at the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center as Mamey brings together an incredible lineup of artists for a vibrant celebration of Dominican and Haitian culture.

5 PM – Reception, Caribbean food, and Dominican-Haitian dance instruction
7 PM – Live performance featuring Mamey and special guest artists, including Tafa Mi-Soleil, Jonathan Suazo, Ethan Bailey-Gould, Oscar Evely, Toncau, Otoniel Nicolás, JBlack, and the children of Uniting Voices.

Come ready to listen, dance, connect, and celebrate community through music.

Ethan Bailey-Gould an ever-captivating improviser, pushes the boundaries of creative expression through his skillful exploration of both the electric guitar and guitar pedals as instruments. Ethan’s music transcends the confines of traditional instrumentation, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in vivid sonic landscapes that captivate the senses. Ethan brings a Caribbean sensibility shaped in part by his Jamaican roots, contributing an encyclopedic knowledge of his instrument in that context.

Join us on Saturday, June 27 at the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center for an unforgettable evening as Mamey brings together an incredible lineup of artists in a vibrant celebration of Dominican and Haitian culture.

Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mameys-quisqueya-album-release-concert-tickets-1989621861547

Otoniel Nicolás is a renowned Dominican drummer and percussionist, born in Santo Domingo. He is widely respected in the Latin music scene for his mastery of the core percussion instruments of merengue and bachata (tambora, güira, congas, and bongos), as well as for incorporating Afro-Dominican rhythms into modern drumming. Son of the famous Dominican musician and composer Joe Nicolás, professor of electric bass and director of the Jazz Band and the Popular Music Department at the CNM (National Conservatory of Music) in Santo Domingo.

His first musical influence was the late Dominican percussionist Ángel Miró Andújar (Catarey), who introduced him to percussion—specifically the tambora. He then continued to explore and study Dominican percussion, eventually mastering the basic percussion of merengue and bachata (tambora, güira, congas, and bongos). Later, he began listening to Afro-Cuban music and found it very interesting, so he started practicing it by listening to La Fania All Star, Irakere, Batacumbele, Carlos Santana, among others.

Join us on Saturday, June 27 at the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center for an unforgettable evening as Mamey brings together an incredible lineup of artists in a vibrant celebration of Dominican and Haitian culture.

Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mameys-quisqueya-album-release-concert-tickets-1989621861547

Oscar Evely is a Canadian drummer based in New York who is a 2024 Young Arts Winner with Distinction and currently a jazz performance student at Manhattan School of Music. Oscar has played at jazz venues around the country including the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, Smalls in New York and Keystone Korner in Baltimore.

Join us on Saturday, June 27 at the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center for an unforgettable evening as Mamey brings together an incredible lineup of artists in a vibrant celebration of Dominican and Haitian culture.

Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mameys-quisqueya-album-release-concert-tickets-1989621861547

Jonathan Suazo is an award-winning Puerto Rican saxophonist, composer, and educator whose work bridges Afro-Caribbean traditions and contemporary jazz through a powerful cross-cultural lens. Grounded in heritage and driven by emotional storytelling, Suazo uses music as a vehicle to share the rhythms, histories, and lived experiences of the Caribbean within a modern jazz framework.

In 2023, Jonathan was named one of the Top Ten Emerging Jazz Artists by the GRAMMYs, marking a major milestone in his career. That same year, his debut album Ricano (Ropeadope Records) was recognized by The New York Times as one of the Best Jazz Albums of 2023, further establishing him as a distinctive and important new voice in the genre. A graduate of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute (Master of Music), Suazo has received numerous honors and national recognitions for both artistic excellence and community impact.

Join us on June 27 at the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center as Mamey brings together an incredible lineup of artists for a vibrant celebration of Dominican and Haitian culture.

5 PM – Reception, Caribbean food, and Dominican-Haitian dance instruction
7 PM – Live performance featuring Mamey and special guest artists, including Tafa Mi-Soleil, Jonathan Suazo, Ethan Bailey-Gould, Oscar Evely, Toncau, Otoniel Nicolás, JBlack, and the children of Uniting Voices.

Come ready to listen, dance, connect, and celebrate community through music.

Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center
Saturday, June 27, 2026

T-minus 25 days until an unforgettable evening of music, dance, food, and connection!

Join us on June 27 at the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center as Mamey brings together an incredible lineup of artists for a vibrant celebration of Dominican and Haitian culture.

5 PM – Reception, Caribbean food, and Dominican-Haitian dance instruction
7 PM – Live performance featuring Mamey and special guest artists, including Tafa Mi-Soleil, Jonathan Suazo, Ethan Bailey-Gould, Oscar Evely, Toncau, Otoniel Nicolás, JBlack, and the children of Uniting Voices.

Come ready to listen, dance, connect, and celebrate community through music.

Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center
Saturday, June 27, 2026

Join us as we celebrate the release of Quisqueya with an evening of music, community, and conversation featuring Julián Pujols Quall and Mamey.

🗓 Saturday, June 27, 2026
⏰ 5:00–9:00 PM
📍 Segundo Ruíz Belvis Cultural Center

We’re excited to gather for this special album release party and share this project with the Fulcrum Point community.

More details here: https://www.fulcrumpoint.org/upcoming

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