Flaco Jimenez and Eddie Palmieri: Why Their Music Mattered

Summary

All Songs Considered: “Flaco Jiménez and Eddie Palmieri: Why Their Music Mattered”

Host: Robin Hilton (NPR)
Guests/Co-hosts: Felix Contreras, Ana Maria Sayer
Episode Date: August 20, 2025

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Overview

This episode of NPR’s “All Songs Considered,” presented as a special edition of Alt Latino, delves into the transformative impact of two legendary musicians: accordionist Flaco Jiménez and Latin jazz pianist Eddie Palmieri, both of whom recently passed away. Hosts Felix Contreras and Ana Maria Sayer pay tribute not only by sharing personal stories and musical selections but also by reflecting on why these artists were so pivotal within their respective musical and cultural traditions. Along the way, the hosts discuss trends in genre blending, spotlight emerging Latinx and global artists, and explore the ongoing reinvention of traditional sounds.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening and Banter

• The episode opens with playful banter about Felix Contreras being awarded the Hispanic Heritage Award, sharing the stage with major Latin artists like Rauw Alejandro and Cheech Marin.
  Quote:

  "I hope people don't get us mixed up that night. You're gonna steal the show. I hope Rauw knows what's coming for him."
  — Felix Contreras (01:13)

Rediscovering and Remixing Heritage Sounds

Orchestra Afro Brasileira

• Ana spotlights the re-release of Orchestra Afro Brasileira’s "Eri Anos" and its new remix album, which has pulled in current Brazilian artists to reinterpret classic tracks from the group, known for fusing Western big band music with African percussion and religious tradition.

• They play samples, including a remix by the artist Roger and a track featuring Camilo Lara, emphasizing how this music bridges generations and remains ripe for reinterpretation.
  Insight:

  • The remix album is emblematic of a trend: younger artists are using tradition as a foundation for innovation, as seen in related movements (corridos tumbados, Neojaropo, etc.).
    Quote:

  “All to say, this is happening as we're seeing this resurgence and reinvestment and reinterest in old sound… People are really prepared and excited to hear this kind of blend.”
  — Ana Maria Sayer (05:36)

  Notable Moment:

  • Felix’s excitement over listening to classic and remixed tracks side-by-side highlights the enduring richness of these foundational recordings.
    Quote:

  "Again, the whole idea of this, like, finding this obscure band and just, you know, makes me want to go back and listen to the original recordings because I just want to dissect them."
  — Felix Contreras (09:29)

Spotlight: Musical Crossroads and New Voices

Dr. Nativo feat. Rocco Pachucote

• Felix introduces Guatemalan-Cuban musician Dr. Nativo, whose forthcoming album blends spiritual and social justice themes, ska, and the rock en Español sensibility of collaborator Rocco Pachucote (from Maldita Vecindad).

• Discussion focuses on genre cross-pollination and the ongoing evolution of Latin music across borders and generations.
  Quote:

  "His track is called Caminantes, or it means walkers, and he says it's an ode to those who walk across borders, histories and generations in search of justice, healing, and peace."
  — Felix Contreras (12:29)

  Comparisons Drawn:

  • Dr. Nativo’s music is likened to Manu Chao’s genre-blending style, but with originality and spiritual urgency.
    Quote:

  "It reminds me of Manu Chao and Mano Negra from Spain... But, like, not copying him. Like, taking it to the next level, right?"
  — Felix Contreras (12:59)

Bicoco

• Ana raves about discovering Bicoco, a Spanish-Cameroonian artist whose debut EP pairs nuanced vocals with Cameroonian percussion and subtle electronic touches. She plays “The Other” and “La Mano,” marveling at the complexity and layered nature of the production.
  Quote:

  "It feels chaotic, but then you really sit down and spend time with it and you're like, oh, no. Every single part of this is, like, perfectly laid."
  — Ana Maria Sayer (17:04)

  • Felix appreciates the agelessness and universality of new Latin music, countering skepticism about contemporary music having nothing “new” to offer.
    Quote:

  "If you can't find new music out there, man, you know, can't help you because this stuff is out there."
  — Felix Contreras (17:26)

Day 2K

• Ana introduces Day 2K, a Tijuana-born musician now in LA, whose album "Mayday" seamlessly melds R&B, hip-hop, soul, and jazz with Spanish lyrics—reflecting both the porousness of cultural borders and the influence of US hip-hop on emerging Mexican talent.
  Quote:

  “To me, what we're hearing coming out of Mexico right now... is this generation that has grown up very naturally with a lot of these Americans, rap, hip hop, R&B... all of these artists... but just with lyrics in Spanish."
  — Ana Maria Sayer (22:06)

  • Felix underscores the album as evidence that the US-Mexico border is "just a line in the sand" when it comes to the transmission of musical culture.
    Quote:

  "It's another reinforcement of the idea that the border is just a line in the sand. The back and forth of people, commerce, production, culture. It's a free flow, man."
  — Felix Contreras (23:33)

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Main Segment: Tribute to Flaco Jiménez and Eddie Palmieri

[Starts at ~23:56]

Flaco Jiménez

• Felix shares insights into what made Flaco Jiménez the touchstone of conjunto Tex Mex accordion: technical virtuosity, improvisational genius (“those runs”), and the ability to imbue polkas and ballads with deep emotion.
  Quote:

  “The magic for me, for Flaco, was in these instrumental breaks in between the vocals...They’re playing as fast as Charlie Parker did in bebop in the 40s, just all over the place...”
  — Felix Contreras (25:27; 27:00)

  • Flaco’s contribution framed as both foundational and innovative: a musician rooted in tradition who always pushed boundaries, which inspired musicians, fans, and musicologists alike.

  Notable Moment:

  • Felix’s personal admiration and awe, having met Jiménez, summed up with warmth and respect.

Eddie Palmieri

• The discussion transitions to Eddie Palmieri, whose pioneering work in Latin jazz and salsa redefined the boundaries of the genre, earning him the first-ever Grammy in a dedicated Latin category (1976).
  Quote:

  "He was just out there changing and challenging and expanding the genre...Eddie's music was like, you know what? I'm just gonna do things my way. And then his music ended up becoming just as popular."
  — Felix Contreras (28:01)

  • The hosts play “Una Rosa Española,” noting Palmieri’s musical daring — including quoting the Beatles’ “You Never Give Me Your Money” — as a testament to bicultural life and fearless creativity.
    Quote:

  "By quoting the Beatles like that. It’s a musical declaration of the bicultural life that most of us Latinos lived then and continue to live right now.”
  — Felix Contreras (29:58)

  Memorable Moment:

  • Palmieri’s performance energy: “...even at the end when he starts banging the keys with his elbows, which he used to do because he got so carried away...”

Tribute Summary

• Felix weaves together the themes, underlining that Jiménez and Palmieri were both products of two distinct, yet interwoven U.S. Latino experiences:
  Quote:

  “Their lives and their music were a celebration of our differences, right. And their life's work is another example of how the music is the most profound expression of culture in the hands and hearts of musicians like Flaco Jiménez and Eddie Palmieri. May they rest in eternal glory.”
  — Felix Contreras (30:55)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the continual reinvention of tradition:

  “This remixed album is coming at a really interesting moment to me, because… reimagining old sounds… has become one of the biggest trends we’ve been following.”
  — Ana Maria Sayer (05:10)

• On musical universality:

  "It's ageless. I mean, because there's so much there for anyone of any age. It's... not exactly club music... but it's still musically so intensely interesting and fascinating and layered and so rhythmic."
  — Felix Contreras (17:26)

• On the power of musical border-crossing:

  “It's another reinforcement of the idea that the border is just a line in the sand... Culture. It's a free flow, man. This is a great example.”
  — Felix Contreras (23:33)

• On the lasting legacy:

  “…the music is the most profound expression of culture in the hands and hearts of musicians like Flaco Jiménez and Eddie Palmieri.”
  — Felix Contreras (30:55)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Remixing Orchestra Afro Brasileira: 01:48 – 10:14
• Dr. Nativo and genre-mixing in Latin music: 10:14 – 13:31
• Bicoco: Spanish-Cameroonian emerging artist: 13:38 – 18:14
• Day 2K and the blending of Latin & US hip hop: 20:19 – 23:50
• Tribute to Flaco Jiménez & Eddie Palmieri: 23:56 – 31:12

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Overall Tone & Language

The episode is warm, exuberant, and deeply informed, with Felix and Ana Maria's conversational rapport bringing both humor and passionate insight. Their tributes are reverent but never somber, emphasizing musical legacy as a living, evolving force. The hosts’ language is vernacular, often playful, yet always respectful of artists’ contributions.

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Closing

With a blend of discovery, nostalgia, and cultural analysis, this episode stands as both an homage to musical innovators who have passed and a celebration of those on the cutting edge of Latin and global music. Its core message: tradition, reinvention, and border-crossing both unite and diversify the Latin musical experience—with the stories of Flaco Jiménez and Eddie Palmieri at its heart.

Transcript

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[Ana Maria Sayer]

I don't know, Felix. You've been pretty coy about your recent celebrity stardom. I mean, word on the street is you're being honored alongside Rao Alejandro. Is that. Is that correct? It might be time for you to share.

[Felix Contreras]

It is. Yeah. It's true. I am being honored with the Hispanic Heritage Award recognition for journalism in September. Some of the other awardees include Raul Alejandro for music and Cheech Marin.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Really? Also.

[Felix Contreras]

Yeah.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Wow.

[Felix Contreras]

For art. It's a recognition ceremony gala that happens every year. I've been in the audience many, many, many, many times, and I got selected this year.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

So, Felix, do you remember what you said to the email? Cause I almost peed myself, I laughed so hard. Do you remember that?

[Felix Contreras]

No, I don't.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I saw this email come through, and I go, I think I put everyone on the email. And I go, Felix Contreras and R.A. alejandro, two dashing, heartbreaking Latin men. And you go, I hope people don't get us mixed up that night. You're gonn steal the show. I hope Rao knows what's coming for him.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, man. All right, let's get to the music. For NPR Music, this is Alt Latino. I'm Felix Contreras.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And I'm Ana Maria Sayer. Let the chisme begin.

[Felix Contreras]

Okay, you get to begin the chisme because you're first.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay. So I saved this for you.

[Felix Contreras]

Okay.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Felix, I thought of you. I spent some time being like, you know what? I'm not gonna bring this on. Last week I was on with Issa, and I was like, this is a Felix pick. So Orchesta Afro Brasileira, which you claim you already brought on before. I don't know. I don't remember that. Anyways, they were a band that was active from 1942 to 1970. They were this mix of western music and Afro Brazilian and African sounds. So in their whole run, they only did, like, maybe a hundred shows. They put out two albums. That is until 2021, when the last living member of the band decided to release a third and final album. This was called Eri Anos in Portuguese. And what they did in the last month is they re released this album with a bunch of remixes. So they brought on a ton of different contemporary artists.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, so cool.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I know. I know. This is. See, I saved the good stuff for you.

[Felix Contreras]

Too.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

They brought on a bunch of contemporary artists who were fans of the band and were like, go to town. Here's your song. And just check out what they've come up with. This is the song Sao de Sao au Re Nago.

[Felix Contreras]

I remember. This was not the band I brought in. I brought in another band that was reinterpreting or re. Celebrating that whole concept, this concept of big band, like American style big band. But in Brazil during that time, which, you know, they would have had the impact of, you know, Duke Ellington and. And Glenn Miller and all that, but except reinterpreted for Brazilian music. I love this.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Well, and from what I understand, the band at the time was really culturally significant because, like I said, they were taking these elements of, yes, trumpets and saxophones from Western sound, but then also incorporating a lot of African traditional percussion and also percussion with religious significance. So we would actually read religious texts. At the beginning of. Like I said, they only did, like, 100 shows, but at the beginning of each of these shows, they would read these texts and. And so this remixed album is coming at a really interesting moment to me, because obviously, a lot has happened since 2021, especially when we're talking about reimagining old sounds. Like that has become one of the biggest trends we've been following. Felix. Right. Like thinking about corridos, tumbados, with, you know, incorporating again, European traditional instruments, German instruments that then had a polka sound, that then became Mexican, you know, Mexican, and then now they're once again becoming Mexican, but modernized. Our thinking about quarteto in Argentina. I've been hearing a lot lately about Neo Jaropo in Venezuela.

[Felix Contreras]

Wow.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yeah, that's a whole other thing. We'll talk about it some other time. But all to say, this is, you know, this is happening as we're seeing this resurgence and reinvestment and reinterest in old sound. The interesting thing, though, is obviously when this music came out back in the 40s, it already was a marriage of multiple traditions. So now we're talking about, like, additionally layering on in a moment when I think people are really prepared and excited to hear this kind of blend, right? And they brought on. It wasn't just, you know, what you heard. They brought on, like, a lot of different types of artists to collaborate. So one that I wanted to point out and I want to play a little bit of is this track that was done by this really amazing contemporary Brazilian artist who I love called Roger. And this track is called Obaluaye.

[Felix Contreras]

You. I'm a big Rosette fan.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

You are. I didn't even know. You know, I saw him a couple months ago at this, like, tiny little record shop in New York. It was the best.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, that's cool.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

He's perfect for that. Yeah, right. But, like, what he does is so representative to me of kind of like this smaller, still very much alive, Brazilian kind of folky scene almost. I'm thinking of like a Tim Bernares, for example. And you can hear him in the sound. Like, they very much allowed all these collaborators, or not allowed for, but rather that this is just what happened. They kept their own personalities, their own distinct sound alongside what is this original orchestra sound. And it blends really well. I want to play one last song just to see.

[Felix Contreras]

Yeah, man.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

If you can recognize who this is.

[Felix Contreras]

This Camilo Lara, my man.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Even Camilo Lara made it on this record.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, my God.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

So his sound, it works really well.

[Felix Contreras]

Yeah, man. Again, the whole idea of this, like, finding this obscure band and just, you know, makes me want to go back and listen to the original recordings because I just wanted. I just want to dissect them.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And the original recordings are that good. Like, it's very much. It's not that the remixes did the thing. Right. Like, it really is. And that, I mean, we've been seeing that again and again and again. Right. Is like people sampling, interpolating music like this. Yeah, Very orchestral. Like, that's what I've been hearing a lot. And a lot is a lot of orchestral stuff.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, good one. Love this.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

That was Preto Velho Ella and a couple of other songs from the album Aerianos remixes by Orchestra Afro Brasileira.

[Felix Contreras]

Okay, so I have a track by a guy named Dr. Nativo, and he's got a multicultural background, and it's reflected in his music. He was born in Guatemala to a Guatemalan mother and a Cuban dad. His musical trail includes going to Havana, study music, and then eventually Barcelona and then out to the world. Let's play the track a little bit, and then I'm going to tell you a little bit more about him. And then who else is singing? This is Caminantes, and I'll just tell you who sings. It features the vocalist Rocco Pachucote. Check it out.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay, this is Mexican.

[Felix Contreras]

He lives in Mexico City now.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

This is like. All of this is. This is like Mexico. Like Mexico. Like old Mexico City all over.

[Felix Contreras]

So, yeah. And it helps that the voice of Rocco Pachucotes there, his band Malita Ventina, in the early 90s were part of that rock and Espanol explosion, man, out of Mexico City, and they leaned heavily on ska. And Dr. Notivo does the same thing, at least on this track. He's got a variety of sounds on his album, which is not coming out until February of next year. But what strikes me is that, like, he's very, very much a spiritual person. He's very connected to the spirituality of where he comes from, and then also using the music as a way to shine light on social justice issues. This track is called Caminantes, or it means walkers, and he says it's an ode to those who walk across borders, Histories and generations in search of justice, healing, and peace. That's his whole thing, Right. Wrapped up in this really cool musical explosion of voices and sounds and everything.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Amazing. I love it.

[Felix Contreras]

Right?

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Yeah. Really? I mean, it has all of those. It's the Roque Nepa thing, for sure, like the Mexico version of it, but there's also something else in there that's not sounding like anywhere that you said he was from, but it's really unique.

[Felix Contreras]

It reminds me of Manucho and Mano Negra from Spain. Right. That's what it.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Absolutely, yes.

[Felix Contreras]

That's what it reminds me of. Yeah. Serious manucho influence. But, like, not copying him, like, taking it to the next level, right?

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Not at all. It's very distinct, honestly.

[Felix Contreras]

The artist is named Dr. Nativo. The track is called Caminantes. It features Rocco Pachucote. The album is called Barrio Candela, and it won't be released until February. So he's going to be releasing singles between now and then. So we'll hear some more from him every week.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Felix has a new. Now we know what to expect.

[Felix Contreras]

Exactly. Okay, you're up.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Oh, I'm really. I forgot how good my stuff is today. Felix. I'm really excited. Okay. So I don't know where my head has been that I have missed this artist. I'm doing kind of a cheating thing. I'm not gonna lie to you. This EP came out end of last year, but it was so good. I found it the other day that I absolutely had to play it. A friend sent me a video of this artist, Bicoco. She's a Spanish artist from Barcelona, but she's actually Cameroonian and Spanish by heritage, singing, like, just a piano in her voice. Right. And I was like, wow, this artist has such a beautiful voice. And then I went and actually checked out the EP and I was like, oh, this is absolutely amazing. This song is one off of that ep. It's called the other.

[Bicoco (Artist)]

Oh, my mind. Just in time. All I want is peace of mind how can it be so hard to.

[Felix Contreras]

Find.

[Bicoco (Artist)]

When it's been within me all this time?

[Felix Contreras]

I wasn't expecting that rhythm to pop up.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Felix, I need you to go listen to this whole ep. Because her. Basically, her specialties are what she focuses on her vocals panel and Djembel. And so the whole thing is kind of like, has these really interesting, specifically beats and percussive twists that I think you would really love.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, my God. I'm there.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I'm gonna play you one more. It's called La Mano.

[Bicoco (Artist)]

Heya. You thought you were about done for today. Nothing stops in here until I say Until I say I'm the voice in your head and I'm here to stay don't even have to try, you could never run away I've tried to make it stop but it goes on and.

[Felix Contreras]

On.

[Bicoco (Artist)]

And it gets hard to every day just go on to call I seem like you never like that I'm.

[Felix Contreras]

Alone.

[Bicoco (Artist)]

I seem like.

[Felix Contreras]

Stop it.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Crazy, right?

[Felix Contreras]

Seriously, just stop it, man.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

No, I'm telling you, I listened to, like, the first two songs in my head exploded. I was like, this is the way. She's so thoughtful because it feels chaotic, but then you really sit down and spend time with it and you're like, oh, no. Every single part of this is, like, perfectly laid. It's like the production, the composition, the actual voice. Like, when you hear her raw voice, everything about it. She's really talented.

[Felix Contreras]

I was just talking to a friend of mine recently, my age say, man, I don't know what? Listening to music, there's nothing out there, you know, what do I like, man? You know, you're obviously not listening to Latino on a regular basis because stuff like this, man, I mean, like, it's ageless. I mean, because there's so much there for anyone of any age. It's. It's. It's not exactly club music because we don't go to clubs anymore, but it's still musically so intensely interesting and fascinating and layered and so rhythmic. If you can't find new music out there, man, you know, can't help you because this stuff is. Is out there. It's even old. It's from what you say it was January.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

It's from last year.

[Felix Contreras]

I'm not mad at you, man. That is a great track.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

That was the other end. La Mano by Bicoco.

[Felix Contreras]

Okay, let's take a break. We'll be right back.

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[Felix Contreras]

Okay, we're back. Ana, I got something special lined up at the end, so.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

See, I'm not the only one breaking.

[Felix Contreras]

Rules today, Felix, so why don't you go ahead.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Okay, so this works out because this is kind of. There's a through line here, sonically. I don't know what it is, Felix, you can name it, but this is an artist that I've been following for a minute. This is effectively his debut album. He released an EP earlier and basically like a kind of mixtape type of thing. He only started making music in 2021 from Tijuana, moved to LA three years ago. His name is Day 2K and this is a song called Obsessed off of his album May.

[Felix Contreras]

You do this every time, man. You bring in music like, oh man, I'm not gonna like this. And then these guys come in and do this like. Like the whole chopped up thing, man.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

It's great.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh my God.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

You have to listen to the album.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, I love that. Yeah, it's. Oh my gosh. I really like that a lot.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Well, I don't even know what to say about it because there's not. You would have to hear the whole thing, understand the spread of what he does here. I mean, it's like R and B and it's hip hop and it's soul and it's jazz and it's like it's all of these things. And I have not. I've talked a lot about, right, like, the split of Latin hip hop versus, like Latin and hip hop. And you see a lot in Puerto Rico, for example, of what I call Latin and hip hop, where it's not a Latinized hip hop, but rather just like an incorporation of American hip hop, American sound. And that's something that's very natural to the island. That's something that I've heard over and over again, like, oh, this is what we grew up listening to. Whatever. We're this intersection of the cultures. And to me, what we're hearing coming out of Mexico right now, which is like a Latin Mafia, Nesquik. And now this guy is this generation that has grown up very naturally with a lot of these Americans, rap, hip hop, R and B. Sounds like this guy, he grew up in Tijuana.

[Felix Contreras]

Yeah.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

I asked him where he's from and he's like, I'm Tijuana from head to toe. Like, this is what I am. And it's. It's obviously always been the tradition on the border that there's a lot of American influence, but I think you can really hear in what he's doing. Like, it's literally all of the. It's like a Tyler the Creator thing and a Kanye west thing and a, you know, all of these artists, even like an Omar Apollo with the bedroom pop type of thing. All of these artists that you're hearing on this side of the border, but just with lyrics in Spanish is really what it is. And it's so innovative. It's so different. I really need you to hear this album, Felix.

[Felix Contreras]

It's another reinforcement of the idea that the border is just a line in the sand. The back and forth of people, commerce, production, culture. It's a free flow, man. This is a great example. I love this.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

That was the song Obsessed off of the new album mayday by day 2k.

[Felix Contreras]

Okay, I'm going to take the last part of this show to do a little tribute to two musicians, two of my favorite musicians, actually, who we lost recently. The conjunto Tex Mex accordionist master Flaco Jimenez, and Eddie Palmieri, the Latin jazz salsa pianist, bandleader, composer, etc. I want to play one track from each just to go over a little bit about what made Them important to me. Okay, I'm gonna start with Flaco Jimenez. I chose a song from his album, Flacos Amigos. It's called Lucerito. I'm gonna walk you through this a little bit. Okay. Fire the music. Go ahead. Okay. So it starts the accordion to playing a melody, kind of the theme variation on the melody. And this is the typical conjuncto with bajo sexto, drums, bass, and then the vocals come in. So now here, the magic for me, for Flaco, was in these instrumental breaks in between the vocals. Right. Gonna sing again. This, by the way, is a polka. Eastern European.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

Eastern European.

[Felix Contreras]

Yeah. They. I bet you if you ask any accordion player in the Southwest or anywhere in the world, right, that plays this music, that's the kind of thing that made him the icon that he was. Forget about the fact that he helped develop this music. And even going back to his father, like, all of it, they're foundational. They're bedrock to this music and to that community of. In. In Texas, in Southern Texas. It's. It's so integral. But the artistry for me was always in those runs in between when it sounds like they're going to run out of space. And they just pull it at the end. They just pull all the music and notes together, sometimes even go over the. Like, maybe it'll come in on the fifth bar instead of the fourth bar. You know, just. That was the genius of what he did, and that's what made him who he was. And. And that's the loss that we suffer whenever we lose an artist like that.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

He played within the light like, he played, like, accordion. Like it's jazz. Yeah, it's incredible.

[Felix Contreras]

Oh, yeah, yeah. The best ones, man, they're. You know, especially in those fast tunes. They're playing as fast as Charlie Parker did in bebop in the 40s, just all over the place. And then when they're playing ballads, you know, it's just the nature of the instrument. It's. It. They can make it like. It sound like it's crying, like a crying voice. No, it's. Losing Flaco was a really big deal. I had a chance to meet him a few times over the years and then see him perform, of course. And everywhere he went, people, musicians, loved him. The fans loved him. You know, musicologists loved him. It was just universally loved and admired and respected. Now I want to move over to Eddie Palmieri. These guys are from the same generation, but from completely different, distinct cultures here.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

So equally important and completely changed the course of both musical traditions. Right.

[Felix Contreras]

Did you know that Eddie Palmieri was the very first Latin artist to win a Grammy in a category that was set aside for Latin music?

[Ana Maria Sayer]

No. Appropriate, though, right?

[Felix Contreras]

His album the Son of Latin Music was awarded best Latin recording in 1976. This is a track called Una Rosa Espanola. Sam. This was the start of Eddie Palmetti's most prolific period, the 70s, because he was just out there changing and challenging and expanding the genre and find your records, was doing stuff that was very, very popular. And Eddie's music was like, you know what? I'm just gonna do things my way. And then his music ended up becoming just as popular. This track has something that set him apart, even going back to 1976. He quotes a Beatles song. Check this out. It's you Never Give Me youe Money from Abbey Road. Then the song later on explodes into this amazing, massive, killer, deep Tombaugh, cha, cha, cha. And it's just everything about epitomizes what he was about, the orchestration, the energy. Even at the end when he starts banging the keys with his elbows, which he used to do because he got so carried away, he's like ka, ka, ka playing on the thing by quoting the Beatles like that. It's a musical declaration of the bicultural life that most of us Latinos lived then and continue to live right now. And before we move on, you know, I have no idea if these two musicians ever met Eddie Palmieri or Flaco Jimenez. But for me, what connected them was the fact that they were products of two distinct Latino experiences here in the United States. And that is a reminder of how diverse we are. Their lives and their music were a celebration of our differences. Right. And their life's work is another example of how the music is the most profound expression of culture in the hands and hearts of musicians like Flaco Jimenez and Eddie Foam. May they rest in eternal glory. You have been listening to Alt Latino from NPR Music. Our audio editor is Noah Caldwell.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

The executive producer of NPR Music is Soraya Muhammad.

[Felix Contreras]

I'm Felix Contreras.

[Ana Maria Sayer]

And I'm Ana Maria Sayer.

[Felix Contreras]

Thank you so much for listening.

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