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If the New York salsa scene were its own galaxy a glittering cluster where artists from across the Caribbean and the United States orbited around one another in a feverish dance the late Johnny Pacheco was the gravitational pull that held them together.
Pacheco, the famed bandleader, flutist, percussionist and co-founder of the groundbreaking salsa label Fania Records, died Monday at 85. His wife, Maria Elena “Cuqui” Pacheco, confirmed his death of complications from pneumonia.
Born in the Dominican Republic, Pacheco inherited his musical prowess from his father, Rafael Azarias Pacheco, bandleader and clarinetist of the renowned Santa Cecilia Orchestra. The Pacheco family emigrated from the Dominican Republic to the Bronx in 1946, when Johnny was 11 years old. From there he dedicated himself to two courses of study engineering and music. It was after a short stint as an engineering student at Brooklyn Tech that he pivoted to the Juilliard School of Music, where he
Johnny Pacheco, who popularized salsa music in the US, dies at 85
Johnny Pacheco played music that made it impossible to sit still.
The Dominican-born multi-instrumentalist experimented with different Latin American musical styles, though he was particularly enamored with Afro-Cuban genres like charanga and pachanga. He was a bandleader, producer and record label head with an eye for talent, and his famed Fania Records would make stars out of Celia Cruz and other salsa legends.
For his contributions to the genre, he’s rightfully earned the title “godfather of salsa.”
Pacheco, a pioneering musician who helped popularize salsa music in the US, died this week, his former record label and his wife, Cuqui Pacheco, confirmed. He was 85.
Johnny Pacheco es ingresado por neumonía en Estados Unidos; esposa pide cadena de oración noticiassin.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from noticiassin.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.