3 days ago
Eddie Palmieri, Grammy-winning Latin music maestro, dies at 88
NEW YORK — Eddie Palmieri, the Harlem-born, Grammy-winning pianist and composer who revolutionized Latin music with his incorporation of various new sounds, died Wednesday. He was 88.
Palmieri died after an 'extended illness' at his home in Hackensack, New Jersey, his daughter Gabriela told the New York Times.
'He was a mentor, a teacher, and a tireless advocate for Latin music and culture,' Palmieri's family wrote in an Instagram post. 'He inspired generations of musicians and moved countless listeners with his artistry, conviction and unmistakable sound.'
An eight-time Grammy winner, Palmieri took both an iconoclastic and professorial approach to his music, striving for perfection through various means and genres.
Known as a salsa music pioneer, Palmieri combined jazz, classical, boogaloo, funk, rock and more while remaining true to his Afro-Caribbean roots — he was the son of Puerto Rican immigrants in Spanish Harlem.
One of Palmieri's most famous innovations was ditching a trumpet section in his 1960s band, La Perfecta, in favor of two trombones, a flute and a more pronounced rhythm section.
'It became an economic situation, the trombone or the flute,' Palmieri told the Smithsonian in 2012, describing putting together a band for club performances. 'Then one night I was able to have them both, and I said, 'That's it.''
La Perfecta, with trombonist Barry Rogers and vocalist Ismael Quintana, would release some of Palmieri's most beloved compositions, including their 1962 debut album and 1965's 'Azucar Pa' Ti.'
Palmieri is survived by four daughters, Gabriela, Renee, Eydie and Ileana, and a son, Edward. His older brother, Charlie, was also a famous Latin pianist and predeceased him in 1988. His wife of 58 years, Iraida, died in 2014; he later dedicated an album to her titled 'Mi Luz Mayor.'
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