Eddie Palmieri

Thank you to everyone who has organized this important press conference and for allowing me this opportunity.

We all know why we are here, so let me get right down to it.

The Board of Trustees should be quite embarrassed about what they have done, particularly with how egregiously they have done it.  This is a brazen act of disrespect to the musicians, songwriters, producers, booking agents, managers, major record and independent labels, of each genre affected by the cuts.

The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences was founded in 1958 but it was not until 1975 that the Academy first recognized Latin Music only because of the pioneering efforts of the most successful Latin record label at the time, (to which I was not signed), named Fania Records.  I happened to receive that first Grammy and it was presented to me by Mr. Chick Corea, a legendary jazz musician whom I greatly esteem.  I dedicated that tremendous honor to the great Tito Rodriguez, who had passed away just two years before.  In my opinion, Mr. Rodriguez should have won dozens of Grammys had our music been welcomed into the Academy during the mambo heyday.  One thing I would like to point out here is that it was only 1 Grammy given to represent all of the different sounds and styles that encompass the vast Latin landscape.  The category was wrongly titled then, but it was a start, a new beginning for us and we were hopeful that eventually better categorization would take place over the years, which eventually happened little by little.

In 1994, I presented my Latin jazz octet to the nominating committee at B Smith’s, here in New York.  I was a Governor of the NY Chapter at the time and worked hard lobbying for the creation of the Latin Jazz Category, which was greatly needed and long overdue.  The importance of Latin jazz cannot and should not be discounted.  It represents such a significant part of America’s history, but particularly that of New York.  These cuts have discredited our historical importance and wounded cultural pride for so very many.

I, as well as my peers, continuously travel all over the world, presenting Latin jazz music to the most prestigious international bandstands with great pride, and you have now taken away our legitimacy at home, by way of this category, from us, by force.

To that end, I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to each individual that made that decision.  The young players that are in school studying now, or have just come out to the performing scene have very little to look forward to as a consequence of the decision you have made.  I have encouraged them to become part of NARAS to help effectuate the change we need, and I am not surprised when I get kickback that they do not believe in the Academy, what it allegedly represents, nor what it stands for.  Some have suggested doing their own independent show in reaction.  I can empathize where they are coming from, however, I do not believe that we become legitimate or effective through segregation, it is only through true integration and acceptance for who we are that the barrier is overcome; which is why I have never, nor ever will, support the Latin Grammys because I do not believe in musical apartheid.  I have said it before and will say again now, there are no two Emmys, two Tonys or two Oscars.

There can be no doubt that this is a serious attack on the Latin culture as well as each and every other category that has been eliminated. Since we were never given air time the excuse here cannot be to shorten the length of the program on television, as we never had been extended that courtesy and had to accept the award in the afternoon long before the telecast begins.

We were told at the meeting in April that categories such as Pop can generate 700 submissions and “niche” categories like ours only generate upwards of 30, (the minimum used to always be 25).  We were told that bestowing a Grammy to a group that had 700 submissions is worth far more than a Grammy bestowed to a group that had roughly 30 submissions.  That has to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.  Either way, you have to come down to the best in any group, irrespective of the number of submissions.  The prestige of the Grammy is not affected by a number of submissions a particular group may or may not have, the prestige of the Grammy is lost through insensitive actions like these that are hurtful, demeaning and unjust; that were done behind our backs, behind closed doors, with no warning, consideration or communication to its Members.

What the Board of Trustees of NARAS and their secret sub-committee have done to us and every other genre that has been cut is the highest degree of original musical sin and they have proven themselves to be unqualified nuisances for their pandering to the hit parade.

It is beyond my comprehension that Latin Jazz, a genre that is greatly revered by the world, is not supported by the most prestigious organization of the Music Industry, in the very country where it was conceived.

Thank You,

Eddie Palmieri

April 13, 2011

“In unity there is strength, conscientious natural musical minds working together, united in thought will constantly deliver power, the drive and the constant search of the individual mind to create, create, create.”

It was in 1965 that I wrote this in the liner notes of my album, “Azucar Pa’ Ti,” which was one of my most defining compositions in the genre of Latin Jazz.  Latin Jazz, originally known as the Instrumental Mambo, happens to be one of the most unique Latin musical forms as it speaks directly to the melding of the African American culture with both the Cuban and Puerto Rican cultures in New York, during a time where we weren’t even allowed to work downtown, (many of the youth do not know this, but in order to work, you had to have a Cabaret card, where the Union and Police could keep an eye on you at all times).  This was an era where life was difficult in both Harlem and El Barrio; it was hot, it was exciting, it was ever changing and it eventually melded together and consequently developed into the beautiful and diverse landscape that we know today.  It is quite something when I look back on those amazing years, the awe inspiring musical brotherhood that was so dear to me of that time, and it is with great pride that I have seen its legacy continue with so many wonderfully talented musicians throughout the years.

In 1993 I was appointed Governor of the New York Chapter of NARAS where I worked diligently to have the Latin Jazz category become recognized, and it was with great happiness that I saw it come to fruition in 1994.  And now it is with a heavy heart that I have seen its elimination, and truly fear its slow and permanent extinction.  I call upon everyone now, as a whole, to come together, in UNITY, by starting with your own communities and supporting your local artists and telling your friends and loved ones about a great band you just heard that has that swing, because without the support of the fans, we are not able to record as often as required by NARAS and to the entrepreneurial indie labels, make sure that you file all of the necessary criteria online to NARAS’ website as per submissions, and to all of my fellow musicians out there, (young and old), please become a member of NARAS and get involved with your local Chapter. I am fighting for you, but please join me so now we can fight together.  Right now, NARAS is holding everything I just mentioned against us; thus marginalizing our music, culture and people even further.  Let me be clear: we have been discredited, we have been discarded and we are being wiped out.  But, this can only happen if we allow it and I truly believe in my heart that together we can reinstate the category of Latin Jazz and dig deeply into that soul bag.  Aché!

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Hello Everyone!


We have just arrived from two great tours to Europe. Our first tour began in the UK, first we went to Manchester and then to Brighton. We lucked out in Brighton because our hotel was right by the beach, (always a good thing), and we had beautiful weather to boot. The concerts went very well and then we were off to Monsegur, France. In France, we saw great local talent and everyone treated us very well over there. It was a very family oriented Festival, which is always nice to see. The next day we went to Denmark to perform at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival where we had 10,000 people. After Copenhagen, we returned home and enjoyed a week off. Then it was time to pack our bags again and head back to Europe, now on our way to Paris to perform at the New Morning where we have performed for many years now. We always have a great turn out in Paris and watching everyone enjoy the show is always exciting for us. After Paris we went to Reims, which was absolutely wonderful; the band really played well. The tour continued with our next stop being Merano, Italy, which is right off the border of Austria. What a beautiful setting, truly spectacular to see. The venue was built in the early 19th century and they even had an old style Bösendorfer piano in the green room with antique paintings. We had a great sound engineer at that concert and we really took care of business performance wise; it was one of our best and the people loved it. From there we flew to Bari for another gig, and then the next day we had a three hour car ride that took us to Campodipietra, which was an extraordinary event in and of itself. There was an accident in the tunnel which meant that now we had to go over the mountains with lots of winding, tightly curved roads (that had no railings), in a thunder and lightning storm, and at one point we were even driving underneath windmills (this was worse than the “piquiñas” of PR!). What a spectacular ride! In Campodipietra I ran into Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, a great drummer and great friend, who was on tour with the talented pianist Fahir Atakoğlu who is from Istanbul, Turkey. It was wonderful to see Negro and also to witness his translating skills…as Fahir would speak in English to the audience, Negro would translate what he was saying into Italian! Well done, Negro! (Oye, Negro, gracias por el vino y que viva el trio!!!) Also, a very special thank you to Enrico Iubatti for all of his hard work and sound engineering expertise for amplification of my acoustic piano. Gracias, Enrico!

The next day we had a three hour drive to Rome where we boarded a flight to Frankfurt and then from Frankfurt we came home. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the musicians that travel and perform with me on the different international bandstands – I am blessed with the opportunity to continue to perform!

With two days rest, I was on a plane to Vail, Colorado where I was the invited guest of Savion Glover, the tap dancer extraordinaire, to perform with him at the Vail International Dance Festival at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. Savion performed first with his presentation and then I came on afterwards. We closed the show just he and I in a duo playing La Libertad Logica and we brought the house down. It has been a great musical summer!

Last but not least, I am very happy to announce the launch of my new online store, which has three different t-shirts and a “Madman” baseball hat for sale so please take a moment to check out our new merchandise.

I want to thank my son Eddie Palmieri II and daughter Ileana “La Jibarita” for all the hard labor they knock out for me day in and day out…And, I want to thank everybody on my Newsletter Mailing List for your support – we will keep you informed of the events as they happen and I wish you a safe everyday.


Eddie Palmieri

About to go onstage in Reims, France















Dinner in Bari

On Monday, June 21st I was a guest Commencement Speaker at my old Middle School PS 52 in the Bronx, which is now known as Middle School 302 x. I was very happy to be there, especially since it took a few years for me to make it because I was always traveling when initially approached by them. Last year they had Secretary of State Colin Powell as their speaker, who also graduated from the school. It was terrific watching the elation of all the students and seeing how enthusiastic and supportive they were of each other at the graduation ceremony. And of course, it was wonderful seeing the happiness and understandable pride of the parents and family members regarding the important scholastic achievements of their kids. After the honor students received their awards, then came the Cumbacheros Choir, directed by Rachel Baez..My biggest surprise was hearing them sing “Azucar Pa’ Ti” (I had no idea that they were going to sing it) and they sounded amazing! After that I helped the Principal distribute flowers to the faculty and staff and then it was time for a second surprise, I was given a Proclamation from the Bronx (narrated by my son, Eddie Palmieri II, (by the way, you did great, Eddie!!)), that June 21st is now considered Eddie Palmieri Day in the Bronx. This is a huge honor to treasure always and I want to congratulate everyone that is involved with this fantastic school – the happiness of the students and their families is testament to the incredible work you do. Special thanks to Evelyn Figueroa, Assistant Principal Larry Thornton and the Principal, Angel Rodriguez, for making it such a memorable experience.


The next day, I performed at Soundview Park, (also in the Bronx), where we performed with the large Salsa Orchestra. The show went very well and we got out of there just in time before the pouring rain came down. It was wonderful to fulfill the concert before “estaban llorando the gods.” We closed the show with Nicky Marrero, a dear friend, and it was a superb afternoon.

Three days later I found out from my daughter Ileana that “Azucar Pa’ Ti” was voted in to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress! The list for 2009 is comprised of 25 compositions, with “Azucar Pa’ Ti” being one that represents the sound recording for the year 1965. This is a tremendous honor. I was so surprised that this happened and what a great feeling because this was a composition that turned things around with respect to commercial recording…Azucar went past the 2 minutes and 45 seconds that you had to record historically. Azucar is 8 minutes and 30 seconds, and with that, a new precedent was set with respect to sound recordings. It is a typical latin composition that has the section that is now being called latin jazz, all done in 1965. And I was thrilled that they also mentioned my bandstand buddy, Barry Rogers in the press release. This really was my sugar week!

Now I’m preparing to travel to Europe and we’ll have our first run of two separate trips to that wonderful Continent. We are traveling with our latin jazz group and it should be a very exciting summer.

Thank you very much for following us on our new blog! We certainly appreciate your continuous support…

Hello everyone and welcome to my new website! I hope you enjoy the new site and find it fun and informative. Thank you, Nick, for all that you’ve done..

OK, here’s a quick run down of the past month; I’ve just returned from Puerto Rico where I performed Vamonos Pal Monte with a big band at the Heineken Jazz Festival which went very well, as well as the Washington DC Jazz Fest with my latin jazz septet. Now I’m looking forward to an exciting summer where I’ll be performing in the Bronx and then off to Europe again… and thank you for constantly checking in about what I’m doing, I appreciate it deeply in my heart and am so grateful for all the loyal fans throughout the world!

P.S. My daughter would like for me to say to please sign up for the RSS feed, although I’m not exactly sure what that means…