Latin Jazz Trailblazer Eddie Palmieri Dies at 88

Eddie Palmieri, the Grammy-winning pianist, composer and bandleader who helped define New York’s salsa and Latin-jazz movements, died on Wednesday, 6 August, at his home in Hackensack, New Jersey. He was 88 and had been battling a prolonged illness, according to his daughter Gabriela Palmieri. Over a career spanning more than seven decades, Palmieri blended Afro-Caribbean rhythms with jazz harmonies, reshaping popular Latin music. He founded the eight-piece ensemble La Perfecta in 1961 and scored a breakthrough with the 1965 hit “Azúcar Pa’ Ti,” later inducted into the U.S. Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. Dubbed the “Madman of Salsa” for his explosive stage presence, Palmieri amassed eight Grammy Awards, beginning with 1974’s The Sun of Latin Music—the first Latin recording to claim the prize. He was named an NEA Jazz Master and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Recording Academy in 2013. Palmieri is survived by five children and four grandchildren. His wife of 58 years, Iraida, died in 2014.