NPR Music - Flaco Jimenez and Eddie Palmieri: Why Their Music Mattered

Episode Date: August 20, 2025

On Alt.Latino we often discuss the way that traditions are recognized and expanded upon. Usually it’s when we’re talking about new artists. But this week we are spending time honoring two legends: Tex Mex accordion player Flaco Jimenez and Latin jazz pianist/composer Eddie Palmieri each died within the last few weeks. They were foundational to their respective musical cultures, products of two distinct Latino cultural and musical traditions who also expanded the idea of tradition with their musical visions. Tune in this week to see how Felix connects the dots between these two seemingly dissimilar icons — and hear some new music that also blends tradition with modernity.    Music heard in this episode:Orquestra Afro-Brasileira, “Saudação ao Rei Nagô” and “Obaluayê”Doctor Nativo, “Caminantes” feat. Roco PachukoteBikôkô, “The Other” feat. Isaiah Hull and “La Mano” feat Crystal Murrayday2k, “OBSSD” and “más q todoooooo”Flaco Jimenez, “Lucerito”Eddie Palmieri, “Una Rosa Española”  Audio and production for this episode was done by Noah Caldwell.Suraya Mohamed is Executive Producer for NPR Music.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 Raou Alejandro. Is that correct? It might be time for you to share. 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. Really? Also?

Yeah. Wow. 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, so. Felix, do you remember what you said to the email? Because I almost peed myself, I laughed so hard. Do you remember it? No, I don't. I saw this email come through and I go, I think I put everyone on the email and I go, Felix Contraira, Sanro Alejandro, to a dashing heartbra. Making Latin men. And you go, I hope people don't get us mixed up that night.

You're going to steal the show. I hope that out knows what's coming for it. Oh, man. All right, let's get to the music. From your music, this is Alt Latino. I'm Felix Contreras. And I'm Anna Maria Sayer. Let the Chisemey begin.

Okay, you get to begin the Chisement because you're first. Okay, so I saved this. for you. Okay. Felix. I thought of you. I spent some time being like, you know what? I'm not going to bring this on last week.

I was on with Issa and I was like, this is a Felix pick. So orchestra Afro-Basilera, 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 100 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 80 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. Oh, so cool. I know. I know. See, I say the good stuff for you. They brought a bunch of contemporary artists who are fans of the band and were like, go to town.

And here's your song. And just check out what they've come up with. This is the song, Sao da Salle al-Ha-Nagal. I'm a alfasem, and a schemann, a orchestra, solo with an orchestra, a in a nabre, can't griffar. My own orchestra is Afro. This is cantic, sacro.

Real, not simulacro, like Sanskrit, d'rato, other temple, other ventus, pronto, it's fact. I'm sure-eigh, de fact,

the invi-victu- I remember. This was not the band I brought in. I brought in another band that was re-interpreting or re-celebrating, that whole concert. 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 Glenn Miller and all that,

but except reinterpreted for Brazilian music. I love this. 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. They 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 so this remixed album is coming in 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 Stumbados with, you know, incorporating again European traditional

instruments, German instruments that then had a polka sound that then became, you know, Mexican. And then now they're once again becoming Mexican, but modernized. Our thinking about quartetto in Argentina, I've been hearing a lot lately about Neil Haropo in Venezuela. Wow. 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. 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 Obaluea. I'm a big Roger friend. 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. Oh, that's cool. He's perfect for that, right? But, like, what he does is so representative to me of kind of. of like this small or still very much alive Brazilian, kind of folky scene almost. I'm thinking of like a Tim Bernadis, for example.

And you can hear him in the sound. Like they very much allowed all these collaborators are 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 if you can recognize. who this is. Sa, Sa, Sa, Sa.

Boom-p-p-p-p-p-pum. Boom-pap-pum. This Camilo Lara? Yeah. My man. Even Camilo Lada made it on this record. Oh, my God. So his sound.

It works really well. 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 want to dissect them. 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 I mean, we've been seeing that again and again and again, right? It's like people sampling and 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. Oh, good one. Love this. That was Pretovellio and Yaya and a couple of other songs from the album,

Adianos remixes by Orchia. Afro-Brazilia. 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's singing. It features a vocalist, Pachucote. Check it out. Okay, this is Mexican. He lives in Mexico City now.

This is like all of this is, this is like Mexico, like Mexico, like old Mexico City all over. So, yeah, and it helps that hate the voice of Rocco Pachucote is there. Here's been Malita Ventinade in the early 90s where part of that rock and Spanish explosion man out of Mexico City and they leaned heavily on ska. and Dr. Nortivo 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 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, like musical explosion of voices and sounds and everything. Amazing. I love it.

Right? Yeah, really. I mean, it has all of those. It's the rock in Spanish 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. It reminds you of Manu Chow. And Mano Negra from Spain, right?

Absolutely. Yes. That's what reminds you of. Serious Manu Chow influence. But not copying him, like taking it to the next level, right? Not at all. It's very distinct, honestly. The artist is named Dr. Nativo.

The track is called Caminantes. It features Rocco Pacuchote. 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, Felix has a new. Now we know what to expect.

Exactly. Okay, you're up. Oh, 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 going to 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. I wasn't expecting that rhythm to pop up. Felix, I need you to go listen. into this whole EP because her, basically her specialties are what she focuses on her vocals,

piano, and jembe. 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. Oh my God, I'm there. I'm going to play you one more. It's called La Mano. Things 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. I could never run away. I've tried to make it stop, but it goes... Stop it. Crazy, right? Seriously, stop it, man. No, I'm telling you, I listen to, like, the first-E-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. I was just talking to a friend of mine recently. My age, it's like, man, I don't know what I listening to music. There's nothing out there, you know.

What do I? I'm 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 not exactly club music because we don't go to clubs anymore, but it's still musically so intense. 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 out there. It's even old. It's from what you say it was January. It's from last year. I'm not mad it, man. That is great track. That was The Other End La Mano by Bicoco. Okay.

Let's take a break. We'll be right back. Okay, we're back. Anna, I got something special lined up at the end. See, I'm not the only one breaking rules today, Felix. So what did you go ahead? Okay, so this worked 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 Day.

You got me on my sister You You got me your one Me Dime You do this every time You do this every time man You bring in music

Like oh man I'm not gonna like this I'm not gonna like this and do this like the whole chopped up thing man it's great oh my god you have to listen to the album oh i love that yeah it's oh my gosh i really like that a lot well i don't even know what to say about it because there's not you would have to hear the whole thing to understand the spread of what he does here i mean it's like rmbee 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 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 grow 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,

quick and now this guy is this generation that has grown up very naturally with a lot of these American rap, hip-hop, R&B sounds. Like this guy, he grew up in Tijuana. Yeah. 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 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 them. 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. 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. That was the song obsessed off of the new album, May Day 2K. 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,

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 going to start with Flaco Jimenez. I chose a song from his album, Flacus Amigos. It's called Lucerito. I'm going to walk you through this a little bit, okay?

Fire the music. Go ahead. Okay, so it starts the accordions playing the melody. Kind of a theme variation on the melody. And this is the typical conjunto with bass, 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? I'm going to sing again. This, this, by the way, is a polka, the Eastern European polka.

Yeah. I bet you with anxia to get you to get you to make you 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

in Texas in southern Texas 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,

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 that's the loss that we suffer whenever we lose an artist like that. He played with him a lot Like he played like According to like it's jazz Yeah

It's incredible Oh yeah Yeah the best ones man You know especially those fast tunes They're playing as fast as Charlie Parker did And 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 can make it Like it sound like it's crying Like a crying voice No it's Losing Flacco 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 Pommetti. These guys are from the same generation, but from completely different distinct cultures here. So equally important and completely changed the course of both musical traditions, right? Did you know that Eddie Pommetti was the very first, Latin artist to win a Grammy in a category that was set aside for Latin music?

No. Appropriate, though. Right? His album, The Son of Latin Music, was awarded Best Latin Recording in 1976. This is the track called Una Rosa Española. This was the start of Eddie Palmeri's most prolific period, the 70s, because he was just out there changing and challenging and expanding the genre. And Fania Records was doing stuff that was very, very popular.

and Eddie's music was like, you know what, I'm just going to 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 your money from Abbey Road.

Right? Then the song later on explodes into this amazing, massive killer, deep dunebao, cha, cha, cha. And it's just, everything about it 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, and he was like, can, can, play another thing. By quoting the Beatles like that, it's a musical declaration of the bicultural life that most of us Latinos lived then and continued to live right now. And before we move on, you know, I have no idea if these two musicians ever met, Eddie Pamieri, 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 Fon, May they rest in eternal glory. You have been listening to Alt Latino from NPR Music. Our audio editor is Noah Caldwell. The executive producer of NPR Music is Saria Mohamed. I'm Felix Contreras.

And I'm Ana Maria Sayer. Thank you so much for listening.