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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 Helped Bring Salsa to the World, Dies at 85
A Dominican-born bandleader and songwriter, he co-founded Fania Records, known as the Motown of Salsa.
Johnny Pacheco performing in Manhattan in 2009. His company, Fania Records, was a powerhouse in Latin music.Credit.Chad Batka for The New York Times
By Elias E. Lopez
Johnny Pacheco, the Dominican-born bandleader who co-founded the record label that turned salsa music into a worldwide sensation, died on Monday in Teaneck, N.J. He was 85.
His wife, Maria Elena Pacheco, who is known as Cuqui, confirmed the death, at Holy Name Medical Center. Mr. Pacheco lived in Fort Lee, N.J.
Bandleader and songwriter Johnny Pacheco, who is widely credited with bringing salsa to the world as a co-founder of Latin music label Fania Records, died yesterday (15) in Teaneck, NJ at the age of 85.
His passing was confirmed by his wife, Maria Elena “Cuqui” Pacheco. Cause of death has yet to be given for Pacheco, who had been hospitalized for undisclosed reasons, according to Alex Masucci, brother of label co-founder Jerry Masucci. Get the latest jazz news straight to your inbox!
Fania, founded in 1964, became known as the “Motown of Salsa” for its work in popularizing Cuban dance music worldwide in the 1970s. The word “salsa,” Spanish for “sauce,” grew out of New York as a popular description of its infectious, percussive, horn-driven dance sound.
Photo: Gareth Cattermole (Getty Images)
Johnny Pacheco, Dominican bandleader and co-founder of the iconic salsa label Fania Records, died on February 15 at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey. According to Dominican newspaper
Diario Libre, Pacheco had been hospitalized for complications from pneumonia. Fania Records confirmed his deathon social media with a statement that read, “It is with profound sadness we share the news of the passing of Johnny Pacheco. He was one of Fania’s founders and the man most responsible for the genre of Salsa music. He was a visionary and his music will live on eternally.” He was 85.