Eddie Palmieri, a pianist and bandleader whose thumping rhythms helped create a new kind of Latin music, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 88.
Palmieri’s passing was announced in a statement by Fania Records, the well-known Latin jazz label that published a number of his iconic records.
“One of the most inventive and distinctive musicians in music history, Eddie Palmieri, passed away today, and Fania Records is in mourning.”
Palmieri and his orchestra, La Perfecta, put up a series of records in the 1960s and early 1970s. They combined jazz styles with syncopated Afro-Caribbean sounds.
Songs like “Bilongo,” “Café,” and “La Malanga” showcased Palmieri’s distinctively percussion-heavy piano style. His method was full-bodied, using the maestro’s own forearms, elbows, and even the occasional snarl.
Palmieri was born in Spanish Harlem, New York City, to Puerto Rican parents. It was a home for musicians. Palmieri began playing drums and timbales, his first instruments, in his uncle’s band. Charlie Palmieri, his brother, would also become a well-known Latin jazz and salsa performer.
In the 1950s, the city’s Latin dance music scene expanded along with the Puerto Rican diaspora. Palmieri quickly established himself as a pianist in Tito Rodriguez’s Orchestra during a time characterized by ballrooms, big bands, and mambo.
When asked to characterize his explosive musical combination on NPR’s Piano Jazz in 1997, Palmieri, who is known for his warmth and spirit, responded emphatically. He said, “It’s going to excite you,” to Marian McPartland, host. “I doubt my music will arouse your interest. I am aware of that.
Palmieri was taking new paths by the middle of the 1960s, most notably working with vibraphonist Cal Tjader.
His talent for identifying iconic vocalists started with Ismael Quintana, the longstanding lead singer for La Perfecta. Then, in 1974, Palmieri partnered with Lalo Rodriguez, a Puerto Rican adolescent. The Sun of Latin Music, his first Grammy-winning album, was the outcome of their partnership. almost the course of his career, Palmieri would earn almost half a dozen Grammys.
Palmieri rose to prominence in Latin jazz as an elder statesman, narrating its history while typically holding a long cigar in his hand. In 2009, his song “Azúcar Pa’ Ti” was added to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. He received a Jazz Master Fellowship, one of the greatest accolades in jazz, from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2013.
In order to deconstruct the rhythmic patterns that served as the foundation for his music, Palmieri would frequently delve into Caribbean history. “Roughly 12 million Africans were transported to the New World over a period of 300 years,” he told Piano Jazz. Because they were afraid to communicate, they were never permitted to play their drums. Fear of rebellion. And these intricate rhythmic patterns came together to create jazz, a type of composition.
For him, the main issue was the Puerto Rican experience in New York City. In his groundbreaking 1971 album, Harlem River Drive, he voiced his opposition to structural injustices.
His song “Puerto Rico” from his 1973 album, Sentido, is an enduring anthem for salsa aficionados all over the world. It’s also a testament to the inspiration Eddie Palmieri drew from his island roots throughout his storied career. His 1973 CD Sentido included the song “Puerto Rico,” which has become a timeless anthem for salsa fans worldwide. It also demonstrates how Eddie Palmieri’s island heritage served as a source of inspiration throughout his illustrious career.
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