Even at 80, Latin music titan Eddie Palmieri was as agile as ever on the keys. That’s the first thing you notice from his 2016 Tiny Desk concert, which starts with a camera fixed on Palmieri’s dexterous fingers as he plays “Iraida,” the touching composition he wrote for his wife, who died in 2014. A stripped-back affair featuring no backing band or accompanying musicians, the concert showed the music veteran in a simple white baseball cap and blue T-shirt — no pretension, just Palmieri and his piano.
Palmieri, who died on Wednesday at the age of 88, didn’t hold anything back when he visited NPR headquarters. After “Iraida,” he dove into an acrobatic rendition of “The Persian Scale,” calling it simply a “very interesting composition.” But his final song, “”La Libertad,” captured the playful innovation, upbeat improvisation, and progressive political beliefs that followed him throughout his career.
Palmieri, who spoke only briefly between songs, set up “La Libertad” by sharing the story of its title. “I was in Venezuela,” he explained. “There I met a great writer, a newspaper man, and I was recording an album called Justicia, which means ‘justice,’ and I asked him, ‘Who would be the son or daughter of justice?’” The man, he went on, answered that the daughter of justice would logically be “la libertad,” which means “freedom.” “I was so impressed with that answer that I wrote a composition called ‘La Libertad.’” He added one more instruction for fans, one that he emphasized often: “If you want to dance, do it.”
Palmieri’s death was confirmed by his daughter, Gabriela Palmieri, who told The New York Times that her father had died following “an extended illness.” Palmieri had cancelled a few shows, including South Beach Jazz Festival this January, because of ongoing illness, but he continued playing late into his life. Fania Records, which released many of his recordings, mourned his loss, calling him “one of the most innovative and unique artists in music history.”