Johnny Pacheco, one of the great salsa music pioneers and co-founders of the legendary record label Fania Records, died on Monday, Feb. 15 at age 85.
Pacheco, who founded Fania Records with his business partner Jerry Masucci in 1964, was instrumental in propelling salsa music to the forefront in the 60s and 70s.
He also helped launch the careers of some of salsa’s biggest superstars, including Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Rubén Blades and Ray Barretto.
Born in the Dominican Republic in 1935, Pacheco and his family moved to New York in the 1940s where he learned to play several instruments including the flute and studied percussion at The Julliard School.
Over the course of his career, Pacheco released dozens of albums and composed some of salsa’s biggest hits, including Hector Lavoe’s “Mi Gente,” Cruz’s “La Dícha Mia,” and the Fania All-Stars’ hit “Quítate Tú Pa’ Ponerme Yo”.
He frequently collaborated with Cruz, the Cuban-born salsa legend, who would become known as the “Queen of Salsa,” on several albums like “Celia and Johnny” (1974) and “The ‘Brillante’ Best” (1978).
Together, they would create some of Cruz’s signature songs, including “Quimbara,” “Toro Mata,” and “Cúcala”.
Pacheco served as the bandleader of the Fania All-Stars, the salsa supergroup that also included Cruz, Lavoe, Barretto, Blades and other Fania artists like Pete “El Conde” Rodríguez, Ismael Miranda and Willie Colón. The Fania All-Stars brought salsa to stages all over the world and gave electrifying performances in large venues like Yankee Stadium and the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Puerto Rico.
In 1974, the Fania All-Stars, along with artists like James Brown, B.B. King and Bill Withers, performed in Kinshasa, Zaire at the three-night music festival which led up to the historic boxing match nicknamed “The Rumble in the Jungle,” between Muhammad Ali and George Forman.
Salsa singer and actor Marc Anthony, who’s known for hits like “Valió la Pena” and “Vivir Mi Vida,” paid tribute to Pacheco via Twitter.
“Your sense of humor was contagious and I am forever grateful for your support, for the opportunity to be in your presence and for your amazing legacy,” Anthony tweeted.
Percussionist and singer Sheila E. also remembered Pacheco, saying that he was “one of the few greats left.”
“He brought people together and his contributions to Latin Music, people, and culture are monumental,” she said. “Thank you, Johnny, you’ll be forever missed.”
Pacheco was nominated for nine Grammys throughout his career and in 1998, he was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
The Latin Recording Academy awarded Pacheco with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 Latin Grammys.
In a statement released via Twitter, the Latin Recording Academy paid tribute to Pacheco and reflected on his contributions to the world of Latin music.
“Johnny Pacheco will be greatly missed, but his music and legacy will live forever and continue to inspire music creators around the world,” Gabriel Abaroa Jr., president and CEO of the Latin Recording Academy said.
