Latest news with #GabrielaPalmieri
CBS News
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Eddie Palmieri, groundbreaking Latin music legend, dies at 88
Eddie Palmieri, the avant-garde musician who was one of the most innovative artists of rumba and Latin jazz, has died. He was 88 years old. Fania Records announced Palmieri's death Wednesday evening. Palmieri's daughter, Gabriela, told The New York Times that her father died earlier that day at his home in New Jersey after "an extended illness." The pianist, composer and bandleader was the first Latino to win a Grammy Award and would win seven more over a career that spanned nearly 40 albums. Palmieri's family released the following statement: "Eddie Palmieri, the legendary Puerto Rican pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader, passed away on August 6, 2025, at the age of 88, leaving behind a transformative legacy in Latin jazz and salsa. A ten-time Grammy Award winner and the first-ever recipient of a Grammy for Latin music, Palmieri revolutionized the genre with his bold, percussive style and deep Afro-Caribbean roots, founding the groundbreaking band La Perfecta and mentoring generations of musicians over a remarkable seven-decade career. He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 60 years, Iraida, whom he lovingly called 'Mi Luz Mayor,' and is survived by his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a global community of friends and collaborators who felt his passion and generosity. Featured proudly in Spike Lee's upcoming film Highest 2 Lowest, Palmieri's influence transcended music -- his rhythm changed the world, and his spirit will live on in every beat he inspired." Palmieri was born in New York's Spanish Harlem on Dec. 15, 1936, at a time when music was seen as a way out of the ghetto. He began studying the piano at an early age, like his famous brother Charlie Palmieri, but at age 13 he began playing timbales in his uncle's orchestra, overcome with a desire for the drums. He eventually abandoned the instrument and went back to the playing piano. "I'm a frustrated percussionist, so I take it out on the piano," the musician once said in his website biography. His first Grammy win came in 1975 for the album "The Sun of Latin Music," and he kept releasing music into his 80s, performing through the coronavirus pandemic via livestreams. In a 2011 interview with The Associated Press, when asked if he had anything important left to do, he responded with his usual humility and good humor: "Learning to play the piano well. ... Being a piano player is one thing. Being a pianist is another." Palmieri dabbled in tropical music as a pianist during the 1950s with the Eddie Forrester Orchestra. He later joined Johnny Seguí's band and Tito Rodríguez's before forming his own band in 1961, La Perfecta, alongside trombonist Barry Rogers and singer Ismael Quintana. La Perfecta was the first to feature a trombone section instead of trumpets, something rarely seen in Latin music. With its unique sound, the band quickly joined the ranks of Machito, Tito Rodríguez, and other Latin orchestras of the time. Palmieri produced several albums on the Alegre and Tico Records labels, including the 1971 classic "Vámonos pa'l monte," with his brother, Charlie, as guest organist. Charlie Palmieri died in 1988. Eddie's unconventional approach would surprise critics and fans again that year with the release of "Harlem River Drive," in which he fused Black and Latin styles to produce a sound that encompassed elements of salsa, funk, soul and jazz. Later, in 1974, he recorded "The Sun of Latin Music" with a young Lalo Rodríguez. The album became the first Latin production to win a Grammy. The following year he recorded the album "Eddie Palmieri & Friends in Concert, Live at the University of Puerto Rico," considered by many fans to be a salsa gem. In the 1980s, he won two more Grammy Awards, for the albums "Palo pa' rumba" (1984) and "Solito" (1985). A few years later, he introduced the vocalist La India to the salsa world with the production "Llegó La India vía Eddie Palmieri." Palmieri released the album "Masterpiece" in 2000, which teamed him with the legendary Tito Puente, who died that year. It was a hit with critics and won two Grammy Awards. The album was also chosen as the most outstanding production of the year by the National Foundation for Popular Culture of Puerto Rico. During his long career, he participated in concerts and recordings with the Fania All-Stars and Tico All-Stars, standing out as a composer, arranger, producer, and orchestra director. In 1988, the Smithsonian Institute recorded two of Palmieri's concerts for the catalog of the National Museum of American History in Washington. Yale University in 2002 awarded him the Chubb Fellowship Award, an award usually reserved for international heads of state, in recognition of his work in building communities through music. In 2005, he made his debut on National Public Radio as the host of the program "Caliente," which was carried by more than 160 radio stations nationwide. He worked with renowned musicians such as timbalero Nicky Marrero, bassist Israel "Cachao" López, trumpeter Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros, trombonist Lewis Khan, and Puerto Rican bassist Bobby Valentín. In 2010, Palmieri said he felt a bit lonely musically due to the deaths of many of the rumberos with whom he enjoyed playing with. As a musical ambassador, he brought salsa and Latin jazz to places as far afield as North Africa, Australia, Asia and Europe, among others. ___ Former Associated Press Writer Sigal Ratner-Arias is the primary author of this obituary.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Latin Music Legend Eddie Palmieri Dies at Age 88 Inside Longtime New Jersey Home Following ‘an Extended Illness'
Famed Latin jazz musician Eddie Palmieri has passed away at the age of 88 after suffering from "an extended illness." The East Harlem-born music legend, who became the first Latino to win a Grammy Award in 1975, died inside his longtime New Jersey home, his daughter, Gabriela, revealed to the New York Times. He is survived by Gabriela, as well as his three other daughters, Renee, Eydie, and Ileana, as well as a son, Edward, and four grandchildren. Palmieri was credited with being a pioneer of the Latin jazz scene in New York, earning a total of 10 Grammy Awards during his lifetime, while producing more than 30 albums. Having been born in Spanish Harlem, Palmieri—the brother of musician Charlie Palmieri—was introduced to music at a young age, when he first started learning piano, before he found a passion for drums after being enlisted to play timbales in his uncle's orchestra at age 13, according to his website. "Palmieri's parents emigrated from Ponce, Puerto Rico to New York City in 1926," Palmieri's biography states. "Born in Spanish Harlem and raised in the Bronx, Palmieri learned to play the piano at an early age, and at 13, he joined his uncle's orchestra, playing timbales." The musician spent much of his childhood living in the South Bronx, where he was raised by a seamstress mother, Isabel, and an electrician father, Carlos—both of whom placed a heavy emphasis on the importance of music in a child's development. Though he routinely described himself as a percussionist, it was piano that led Palmieri to greatness and saw his music career take off. "Palmieri's professional career as a pianist took off with various bands in the early 1950s, including Eddie Forrester, Johnny Segui's, and the popular Tito Rodriguez Orchestra." In the 1960s, the musician formed his own band, La Perfecta, through which he cultivated a unique sound by replacing trumpets with trombones, a move that "mixed American jazz into Afro-Caribbean rhythms, surprising critics and fans alike." His surprising blend of what had previously been seen as very distinctive Black and Latin sounds was a key aspect of his debut album, "Harlem River Drive," as well as his Grammy Award-winning album, "The Sun of Latin Music." Palmieri continued to release music regularly up until his death—and was still delighting audiences with his live performances even in his final years, particularly in and around New York. The music legend spent the majority of his life in the tri-state area, however he relocated to Puerto Rico for a few years in the 1980s, after traveling there to care for his mother. During that time he recorded three different albums, each of which won a Grammy; however, he noted in a later interview that he found the process of living and working in Puerto Rico very "difficult." "I felt completely oppressed over there," he once revealed, according to Musician Guide. "I tried to get a helping hand from the orchestras in Puerto Rico, but I just frightened them away.... It was quite difficult. We were hurting for employment.... [The local musicians] wouldn't allow me in." After his return to New York City in the late 1980s, Palmieri's career continued to go from strength to strength; in addition to his collection of Grammy Awards, the musician was also awarded multiple other accolades, including a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences in 2013. He was also honored by the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian, which recorded two of his live performances for its archives, according to Palmieri's website. However, he faced his fair share of struggles along the way, engaging in battles with high-paid music executives, with the New York Times noting that he once admitted to feeling like he was being "attacked constantly" in the industry. "You're getting attacked constantly, one way or the other: fights with the promoters, fighting with the record labels," he said. The outlet also noted that Palmieri took a strong stance against the IRS, refusing to pay taxes for several years after becoming enamored with the works of economist Henry George, who believes that income taxes were a form of legal robbery. Eventually, his rebellion caught up with him. IRS agents began showing up at his concerts and eventually led him away in handcuffs, although he was able to work out a deal with the agency to repay the money he owed. Despite his more controversial stances, Palmieri remained a legend in the New York music scene up until his death—and was renowned for his deep dedication to the South Bronx and its Latin community. However, for the last 10 years of his life, the musician had been based just outside the city, in Hackensack, NJ, where he owned a humble four-bedroom dwelling, according to property records. The property was purchased for $338,000 in 2015, one year after Iraida, his wife of 58 years, passed away. Located on a quiet cul-de-sac, the property features a sizable backyard, complete with a large deck for entertaining, as well as a sunlit music room. Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Eddie Palmieri, pioneering Latin jazz musician and first Latino to win a Grammy, dies at 88
Eddie Palmieri, the avant-garde musician who was one of the most innovative artists of rumba and Latin jazz, has died. He was 88. Fania Records announced Palmieri's death Wednesday evening. Palmieri's daughter Gabriela told The New York Times that her father died earlier that day at his home in New Jersey after 'an extended illness.' The pianist, composer and bandleader was the first Latino to win a Grammy Award and would win seven more over a career that spanned nearly 40 albums. Palmieri was born in New York's Spanish Harlem on December 15, 1936, at a time when music was seen as a way out of the ghetto. He began studying the piano at an early age, like his famous brother Charlie Palmieri, but at age 13, he began playing timbales in his uncle's orchestra, overcome with a desire for the drums. He eventually abandoned the instrument and went back to the playing piano. 'I'm a frustrated percussionist, so I take it out on the piano,' the musician once said in his website biography. His first Grammy win came in 1975 for the album 'The Sun of Latin Music,' and he kept releasing music into his 80s, performing through the coronavirus pandemic via livestreams. In a 2011 interview with The Associated Press, when asked if he had anything important left to do, he responded with his usual humility and good humor: 'Learning to play the piano well. … Being a piano player is one thing. Being a pianist is another.' Palmieri dabbled in tropical music as a pianist during the 1950s with the Eddie Forrester Orchestra. He later joined Johnny Seguí's band and Tito Rodríguez's before forming his own band in 1961, La Perfecta, alongside trombonist Barry Rogers and singer Ismael Quintana. La Perfecta was the first to feature a trombone section instead of trumpets, something rarely seen in Latin music. With its unique sound, the band quickly joined the ranks of Machito, Tito Rodríguez, and other Latin orchestras of the time. Palmieri produced several albums on the Alegre and Tico Records labels, including the 1971 classic 'Vámonos pa'l monte,' with his brother Charlie as guest organist. Charlie Palmieri died in 1988. Eddie's unconventional approach would surprise critics and fans again that year with the release of 'Harlem River Drive,' in which he fused Black and Latin styles to produce a sound that encompassed elements of salsa, funk, soul and jazz. Later, in 1974, he recorded 'The Sun of Latin Music' with a young Lalo Rodríguez. The album became the first Latin production to win a Grammy. The following year he recorded the album 'Eddie Palmieri & Friends in Concert, Live at the University of Puerto Rico,' considered by many fans to be a salsa gem. In the 1980s, he won two more Grammy Awards, for the albums 'Palo pa' rumba' (1984) and 'Solito' (1985). A few years later, he introduced the vocalist La India to the salsa world with the production 'Llegó La India vía Eddie Palmieri.' Palmieri released the album 'Masterpiece' in 2000, which teamed him with the legendary Tito Puente, who died that year. It was a hit with critics and won two Grammy Awards. The album was also chosen as the most outstanding production of the year by the National Foundation for Popular Culture of Puerto Rico. During his long career, he participated in concerts and recordings with the Fania All-Stars and Tico All-Stars, standing out as a composer, arranger, producer, and orchestra director. In 1988, the Smithsonian Institute recorded two of Palmieri's concerts for the catalog of the National Museum of American History in Washington. Yale University in 2002 awarded him the Chubb Fellowship Award, an award usually reserved for international heads of state, in recognition of his work in building communities through music. In 2005, he made his debut on National Public Radio as the host of the program 'Caliente,' which was carried by more than 160 radio stations nationwide. He worked with renowned musicians such as timbalero Nicky Marrero, bassist Israel 'Cachao' López, trumpeter Alfredo 'Chocolate' Armenteros, trombonist Lewis Khan, and Puerto Rican bassist Bobby Valentín. In 2010, Palmieri said he felt a bit lonely musically due to the deaths of many of the rumberos with whom he enjoyed playing with. As a musical ambassador, he brought salsa and Latin jazz to places as far afield as North Africa, Australia, Asia and Europe, among others.
CNN
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Eddie Palmieri, pioneering Latin jazz musician and first Latino to win a Grammy, dies at 88
Eddie Palmieri, the avant-garde musician who was one of the most innovative artists of rumba and Latin jazz, has died. He was 88. Fania Records announced Palmieri's death Wednesday evening. Palmieri's daughter Gabriela told The New York Times that her father died earlier that day at his home in New Jersey after 'an extended illness.' The pianist, composer and bandleader was the first Latino to win a Grammy Award and would win seven more over a career that spanned nearly 40 albums. Palmieri was born in New York's Spanish Harlem on December 15, 1936, at a time when music was seen as a way out of the ghetto. He began studying the piano at an early age, like his famous brother Charlie Palmieri, but at age 13, he began playing timbales in his uncle's orchestra, overcome with a desire for the drums. He eventually abandoned the instrument and went back to the playing piano. 'I'm a frustrated percussionist, so I take it out on the piano,' the musician once said in his website biography. His first Grammy win came in 1975 for the album 'The Sun of Latin Music,' and he kept releasing music into his 80s, performing through the coronavirus pandemic via livestreams. In a 2011 interview with The Associated Press, when asked if he had anything important left to do, he responded with his usual humility and good humor: 'Learning to play the piano well. … Being a piano player is one thing. Being a pianist is another.' Palmieri dabbled in tropical music as a pianist during the 1950s with the Eddie Forrester Orchestra. He later joined Johnny Seguí's band and Tito Rodríguez's before forming his own band in 1961, La Perfecta, alongside trombonist Barry Rogers and singer Ismael Quintana. La Perfecta was the first to feature a trombone section instead of trumpets, something rarely seen in Latin music. With its unique sound, the band quickly joined the ranks of Machito, Tito Rodríguez, and other Latin orchestras of the time. Palmieri produced several albums on the Alegre and Tico Records labels, including the 1971 classic 'Vámonos pa'l monte,' with his brother Charlie as guest organist. Charlie Palmieri died in 1988. Eddie's unconventional approach would surprise critics and fans again that year with the release of 'Harlem River Drive,' in which he fused Black and Latin styles to produce a sound that encompassed elements of salsa, funk, soul and jazz. Later, in 1974, he recorded 'The Sun of Latin Music' with a young Lalo Rodríguez. The album became the first Latin production to win a Grammy. The following year he recorded the album 'Eddie Palmieri & Friends in Concert, Live at the University of Puerto Rico,' considered by many fans to be a salsa gem. In the 1980s, he won two more Grammy Awards, for the albums 'Palo pa' rumba' (1984) and 'Solito' (1985). A few years later, he introduced the vocalist La India to the salsa world with the production 'Llegó La India vía Eddie Palmieri.' Palmieri released the album 'Masterpiece' in 2000, which teamed him with the legendary Tito Puente, who died that year. It was a hit with critics and won two Grammy Awards. The album was also chosen as the most outstanding production of the year by the National Foundation for Popular Culture of Puerto Rico. During his long career, he participated in concerts and recordings with the Fania All-Stars and Tico All-Stars, standing out as a composer, arranger, producer, and orchestra director. In 1988, the Smithsonian Institute recorded two of Palmieri's concerts for the catalog of the National Museum of American History in Washington. Yale University in 2002 awarded him the Chubb Fellowship Award, an award usually reserved for international heads of state, in recognition of his work in building communities through music. In 2005, he made his debut on National Public Radio as the host of the program 'Caliente,' which was carried by more than 160 radio stations nationwide. He worked with renowned musicians such as timbalero Nicky Marrero, bassist Israel 'Cachao' López, trumpeter Alfredo 'Chocolate' Armenteros, trombonist Lewis Khan, and Puerto Rican bassist Bobby Valentín. In 2010, Palmieri said he felt a bit lonely musically due to the deaths of many of the rumberos with whom he enjoyed playing with. As a musical ambassador, he brought salsa and Latin jazz to places as far afield as North Africa, Australia, Asia and Europe, among others.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Eddie Palmieri, pioneering Latin jazz musician and Grammy winner, dies at 88
Eddie Palmieri, the avant-garde musician who was one of the most innovative artists of rumba and Latin jazz, has died. He was 88. Fania Records announced Palmieri's death Wednesday evening. Palmieri's daughter Gabriela told The New York Times that her father died earlier that day at his home in New Jersey after 'an extended illness.' The pianist, composer and bandleader was the first Latino to win a Grammy Award and would win seven more over a career that spanned nearly 40 albums. Palmieri was born in New York's Spanish Harlem on December 15, 1936, at a time when music was seen as a way out of the ghetto. He began studying the piano at an early age, like his famous brother Charlie Palmieri, but at age 13, he began playing timbales in his uncle's orchestra, overcome with a desire for the drums. He eventually abandoned the instrument and went back to the playing piano. 'I'm a frustrated percussionist, so I take it out on the piano,' the musician once said in his website biography. His first Grammy win came in 1975 for the album 'The Sun of Latin Music,' and he kept releasing music into his 80s, performing through the coronavirus pandemic via livestreams. In a 2011 interview with The Associated Press, when asked if he had anything important left to do, he responded with his usual humility and good humor: 'Learning to play the piano well. ... Being a piano player is one thing. Being a pianist is another.' Palmieri dabbled in tropical music as a pianist during the 1950s with the Eddie Forrester Orchestra. He later joined Johnny Seguí's band and Tito Rodríguez's before forming his own band in 1961, La Perfecta, alongside trombonist Barry Rogers and singer Ismael Quintana. La Perfecta was the first to feature a trombone section instead of trumpets, something rarely seen in Latin music. With its unique sound, the band quickly joined the ranks of Machito, Tito Rodríguez, and other Latin orchestras of the time. ___ Former Associated Press Writer Sigal Ratner-Arias is the primary author of this obituary.
