Johnny Pacheco

Juan Pablo Knipping Pacheco (25 March 1935 – 15 February 2021),[1] known as Johnny Pacheco, was a Dominican musician, arranger, composer, bandleader, and record producer. Born in the Dominican Republic, Pacheco became a leading figure in the New York salsa scene in the 1960s and 1970s as the founder and musical director of Fania Records.[2]

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Pacheco and the second or maternal family name is Knipping.
Johnny Pacheco
Background information
Birth nameJuan Pablo Knipping Pacheco
Born(1935-03-25)25 March 1935
Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic
OriginNew York City
Died15 February 2021(2021-02-15) (aged 85)
Teaneck, New Jersey, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)
Instrument(s)
Years active1955–2021
Labels
Formerly of

Pacheco was one of the leading exponents of pachanga, a blend of Cuban rhythms and Dominican merengue in the late 1950s. He popularized the use of the term "salsa" and established the Fania All-Stars to showcase the leading artists of the genre,[3] which propelled him to worldwide fame and had an important role in the evolution of Latin music.[4]

Pacheco was a nine-time Grammy nominee and was awarded the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by the Latin Recording Academy in 2005.

Early life and family

Juan Pablo Pacheco Knipping was born on 25 March 1935 in Santiago de los Caballeros, a city in the Dominican Republic.[5] He inherited his passion for music from his father, Rafael Azarías Pacheco, who was the leader and clarinetist of the Orquesta Santa Cecilia. One of the leading Dominican big bands of the 1930s, the Orquesta was the first to record Luis Alberti's merengue "Compadre Pedro Juan". Rafael was the grandson of a Spanish soldier who arrived during the Spanish reannexation of Santo Domingo.[6] His mother, Octavia Knipping Rochet, was the granddaughter of a French colonist, and the great-granddaughter of a German merchant who was married to a Dominican woman born to Spanish colonists.[7][8]

Pacheco and his family left the Dominican Republic for New York City when he was eleven years old. As a child, he learned to play several instruments, including accordion, violin, flute, saxophone and clarinet.[9] He later attended Brooklyn Technical High School, majoring in electrical engineering. He worked in this field for a time, but eventually quit due to low salary levels.[10] He studied percussion at the Juilliard School. From his first marriage, Pacheco had 2 daughters, Norma and Joanne. From his second marriage, Pacheco had 2 sons, Philip and Elis, who like his father excelled in the music business. Pacheco married his long time wife Cuqui in 1984, and they remained together until his passing.[11]

Early music career

In 1953, Pacheco played percussion and sang with Gil Suárez's band. In the following year, he co-founded The Chuchulecos Boys with Eddie Palmieri on piano, Barry Rogers on trombone and other future figures of renown in the New York salsa scene: Al Santiago, Mike Collazo and Ray Santos. They played at weddings and other social events. He later played percussion for several bands, including late-night shows, Lou Pérez's band The Mambaleros, and the popular orchestras of Tito Puente, Xavier Cugat and Dioris Valladares.[10]

La Duboney

In October 1958, Pacheco met pianist Charlie Palmieri and he joined him to record the Latin jazz album Easy Does It, released by Gone Records. Pacheco played congas and bongos. Palmieri and Pacheco then formed the charanga La Duboney in 1959, where Pacheco played flute. However, he soon grew dissatisfied with his role in the group; Palmieri's name was featured on the cover of the LPs but not his, despite his role as lead arranger and co-director. Moreover, Palmieri's style was more sophisticated and less marketable, while Pacheco favored simpler son-based arrangements. After only one LP, Let's Dance the Charanga (United Artists), Pacheco left La Duboney to form his own charanga in 1960.[10]

Pacheco y su Charanga

Pacheco formed his own band, Pacheco Y Su Charanga, in 1960. Their first promotional single "El güiro de Macorina"/"Óyeme mulata", received much airplay in New York from DJ Rafael Font. Al Santiago, owner of Alegre Records, decided to offer Pacheco and his band a record deal. Their debut album Pacheco Y Su Charanga Vol. 1 sold 100,000 copies within the first year of its release.[9] Pacheco's success led to a new dance fad, the pachanga (combination of "Pacheco" and "charanga").[9] The music for the pachanga was heavily influenced by the uptempo merengue and cha-cha-cha hybrid style originated by Eduardo Davidson in 1959; José Fajardo's charanga popularized this style in Cuba.[12]

Pacheco toured throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America in support of the album. Pacheco Y Su Charanga were the first Latin band to headline the Apollo Theater in New York City; they did so in 1962 and 1963.[13]

The band's success led them to record four more albums for Alegre Records (Vols II–V). Pachecco also reunited with Charlie Palmieri for two albums: the 1961 jam session Alegre All-Stars and the collaborative album Las charangas. However, Al Santiago encountered financial difficulties, influencing Pacheco's decision to exit Alegre Records in 1963.[10]

Fania Records

In late 1963, Pacheco met Jerry Masucci, a lawyer, and soon they co-founded Fania Records. Pacheco was the VP, A&R creative director, and musical producer of the new label. At Fania, Pacheco launched and solidified the careers of many popular salsa artists. He named the label after the song "Fanía" by Reinaldo Bolaños, made famous by Estrellas de Chocolate in Cuba in 1960.[14]

Pacheco y su Nuevo Tumbao

Pacheco reorganized his charanga and transformed it into a conjunto by adding trumpets instead of violins.[10] His first album with his new band, Pacheco y su Nuevo Tumbao, was Cañonazo, the first release on Fania Records. Featuring Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez on vocals, the album was the first of many recordings by the "compadres" (literally, "godfathers"), as Pacheco and El Conde were later known. Except for the closing song on the album "Dakar, punto final", all the songs were covers, including the aforementioned "Fanía", the title track and "El kikirikí" by Evaristo Aparicio, Eduardo Angulo's "Cabio sile yeyeo", Cheo Marquetti's "Pinareño" and Walfrido Guevara's "Labrando la tierra", all by popular Cuban artists of the 1950s and 1960s.[15]

In 1965, Pacheco recorded three albums, two of which featured Monguito el Único as lead vocalist: Pacheco at the N.Y. World's Fair and Pacheco te invita a bailar. The third album consisted of instrumental descargas (jam sessions), and was called Pacheco, His Flute and Latin Jam.[10] In 1966, Pacheco worked with Monguito and Chivirico Dávila to record another album, Viva África,[16] named after the fact that Pacheco had recently toured the continent.[10] He then reverted to the charanga format for one album, aptly titled Pacheco y su Charanga: By Popular Demand. In 1967, he recorded Sabor típico with Pete "El Conde" and Pacheco Presents Monguito, the debut album of Monguito el Único as lead artist. In 1968, he recorded the instrumental album Latin Piper and Volando bajito with El Conde on lead vocals. Pacheco and El Conde then recorded three collaborative albums: Los compadres (1970), Perfecta combinación (1971) and Tres de café y dos de azúcar (1973), as well as five reunion albums between 1980 and 1989.[10]

Fania All-Stars
Further information: Fania All-Stars and Descarga § 1960s: from Havana to New York

Having recorded Cuban-style jam sessions (descargas) with both the Alegre All-Stars (1961) and the Tico All-Stars (Live at the Village Gate, 1966), Pacheco decided to record a live album to showcase the Fania roster of salsa musicians. The resulting album Live at the Red Garter (1968) was a success and has been described as an "excellent and promising start for the supergroup".[17] Among the stars featured in the concert were pianist Larry Harlow, bassist Bobby Valentín and conguero Ray Barretto.[18] The lineup of the group varied over the years, and by the time of their second show, Live at the Cheetah (1971), many members had changed.[19]

Pacheco y su Tumbao Añejo

In 1974, Pacheco replaced El Conde (who went on a successful solo career) with Héctor Casanova and renamed his band Pacheco y su Tumbao Añejo ("Pacheco and his old tumbao", as opposed to his previous band "the new tumbao").[10] They released El maestro in 1975 and El artista in 1977. However, Pacheco's focus during the 1970s, apart from the All-Stars, was a series of collaborative albums between members of the label, including himself. He collaborated with Celia Cruz, Justo Betancourt, Papo Lucca, Pupi Legarreta, Luis "Melón" Silva, Celio González and José Fajardo, among others.[10] With Héctor Casanova he released another album, Los amigos, in 1979. After his various reunion albums with El Conde, including the Nuevo Tumbao 25th anniversary album Celebration, Pacheco released ¡Sima! in 1993, his last studio album.[10]

Legacy

Pacheco recorded and composed over 150 songs. Among them are "Mi Gente", "La Dicha Mia", "Quítate Tú" (Pa’ Ponerme Yo), "Acuyuye," "El Rey de la Puntualidad," Tito Puente's "El Número Cien," and Celia Cruz's Celia y Tito. Pacheco has also been an inspiration to the younger generations. For example, rap artist Mangu invited him to collaborate on an album entitled Calle Luna y Calle Sol; Pacheco arranged the album, sang in the chorus, and played the flute. Pacheco also produced music for feature films. The first film he worked on was the 1972 documentary Our Latin Thing; this was also the first film about the influence of salsa on Latino culture in New York City. His second film Salsa released in 1974. In the 1980s, he composed the scores for Mondo New York and Something Wild. The latter was a collaboration with David Byrne, the lead singer of the group Talking Heads.[20] Several tracks that he arranged, produced, and/or performed were included on the soundtrack of the 1992 Warner Brothers film, The Mambo Kings.[21]

Pacheco performed in the 1988 AIDS benefit concert "Concierto Por La Vida", held at Avery Fisher Hall. He also collaborated with the Hispanic Federation Relief Fund to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Georges.[22] Pacheco established the Johnny Pacheco Scholarship Fund in 1994 for college students in the New York metropolitan area.[23]

The Johnny Pacheco Latin Music and Jazz Festival is an annual event that is held in mid-November at Lehman College.[24][25][26]

Awards and recognition

Pacheco earned nine Grammy nominations and ten gold records.[20] His contributions to Latin Music have been recognized throughout his career.

In 1996, the then-President of the Dominican Republic, Joaquín Balaguer, conferred the prestigious Presidential Medal of Honor on Pacheco. A year later, Pacheco was the recipient of the Bobby Capó Lifetime Achievement Award, awarded by New York Governor George Pataki. In addition, Pacheco received the First International Dominican Artist Award at the Casandra Awards. In June 1996, Johnny Pacheco became the first Latin music producer to receive the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) Governor's Award.[27]

In 1998, Pacheco was among the first group of artists inducted into International Latin Music Hall of Fame (ILMHF). The ILMHF awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.[28]

In 2004, Pacheco was awarded the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, ASCAP Silver Pen Award.[29]

On 5 June 2005, Pacheco was honored by Union City, New Jersey with a star on the Walk of Fame at Union City's Celia Cruz Park.[30]

In 2005, the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences awarded Johnny Pacheco with its Lifetime Achievement Award at that years Latin Grammys.[31]

In 2007, Pacheco was portrayed by Nelson Vasquez in the movie El Cantante, starring Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez.[32]

On 24 March 2009, Pacheco was awarded "El Soberano", the highest distinction given by the Association of Art Columnists of the Dominican Republic.[33]

In August 2020, Johnny Pacheco's composition "Celia y Tito" by Tito Puente and Celia Cruz was featured in the 4th-season finale of the NBC TV network program "World of Dance" which is produced and judged by international film and recording star Jennifer Lopez.[34]

Death

A resident of Fort Lee, New Jersey, Pacheco died at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck on 15 February 2021, aged 85, after being admitted to the hospital with pneumonia-related complications.[35]

Discography

As leader
Alegre Records
  • Pacheco y Su Charanga, Vol. 1 (1960)[36]
  • Pacheco y su Charanga, Vol. 2 (1961)[36]
  • The Alegre All-Stars, Vol. 1 (1961)[37]
  • Que Suene la Flauta, Vol. 3 (1962)[36]
  • Suavito, Vol. 4 (1962)[36]
  • Spotlight on Pacheco, Vol. 5 (1963)[36]
  • Las Charangas (1963)[36]
Fania Records
  • Cañonazo (1964)[36]
  • Pacheco at the N.Y. World's Fair (1964)[36]
  • Pacheco, His Flute and Latin Jam (1965)[36]
  • By Popular Demand (1966)[36]
  • Viva África (1966)[36]
  • Pacheco Te Invita a Bailar (1967)[36]
  • Sabor Típico (1967)[36]
  • Pacheco presents Monguito (1968)[36]
  • Volando Bajito (1968)[36]
  • Los Dinámicos (1970)[36]
  • La Perfecta Combinación (1971)[36]
  • Los Compadres (1972)[36]
  • Tres de Café y Dos de Azúcar (1973)[36]
  • Celia & Johnny (1974)[36]
  • Tremendo Caché (1975)[36]
  • El Maestro (1976)[36]
  • Recordando el Ayer (1977)[36]
  • The Artist (1977)[36]
  • Llegó Melón (1977)[36]
  • Eternos con Celia Cruz (1978)[36]
  • Champ (1980)[36]
  • Los Amigos (1980)[36]
  • Las Tres Flautas with Pupi Legarreta and José Fajardo (1980)[36]
  • El Zorro de Plata y El Flaco de Oro (1981)[36]
  • De Nuevo Los Compadres (1983)[36]
  • Jícamo (1985)[36]
  • Salsobita (1987)[36]
  • Celebración (1989)[36]
  • ¡Sima! (1993)[36]
  • De Nuevo with Celia Cruz[36]
  • Flying High[36]
  • Los Dos Mosqueteros[36]
  • La Crema[36]
  • Sabrosura[36]
  • Los Distinguidos[36]
  • De Película (Rolando Laserie)[36]
  • Pacheco y Fajardo[36]
  • Celia, Johnny y Pete[36]
  • Entre Amigos[36]
Compilations
  • Había Una Vez (Once Upon a Time) (1973)[38]
  • 10 Great Years (1973)[38]
  • Lo Mejor de Pacheco (The Best of Pacheco) (1974)[38]
  • Introducing... (1989)[38]
  • Pacheco's Party (1994)[38]
  • Johnny Pacheco (2000)[39]
  • The Best of Johnny Pacheco (2001)[38]
  • Lo Mejor (2004)[38]
  • Reserva Musical (2008)[40]

As sideman

With Melanie

With George Benson

With Kenny Burrell

With J. J. Johnson

With Johnny Lytle

With Les McCann

With McCoy Tyner

With Kai Winding

With the Fania All-Stars
  • Live at the Red Garter Vol. 1[36]
  • Live at the Red Garter Vol. 2[36]
  • Live at the Cheetah Vol. 1[36]
  • Live at the Cheetah Vol. 2[36]
  • Live at Yankee Stadium Vol. 1[36]
  • Live at Yankee Stadium Vol. 2[36]
  • Live in Africa[36]
  • Live in San Juan – 1973[36]
  • A Tribute to Tito Rodríguez[36]
  • Live in Japan – 1976[36]
  • Delicate and Jumpy[36]
  • Spanish Fever[36]
  • Rhythm Machine[36]
  • Crossover[36]
  • Commitment[36]
  • Viva La Charanga[36]
  • Latin Connection[36]
  • Lo Que Pide La Gente[36]
  • Bamboleo[36]
  • California Jam[36]
  • Havana Jam[36]
  • Guasasa[36]
  • Social Change[36]
  • Bravo[36]
  • The Perfect Blend[36]
  • Viva Colombia – The Cali Concert[36]
  • Live in Puerto Rico – 1993[36]

Filmography
  • Our Latin Thing (Fania 1972)
  • Salsa (Fania, 1974)
  • Celia cruz and the Fania All Stars In Africa (Fania, 1993)
  • Live (Fania, 1995)
  • Soul Power (2009)

See also

References
  1. "Johnny Pacheco,founder of New York's Latin label Fania, dies aged 85". The Guardian. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  2. "Interview: A Visit with Maestro Johnny Pacheco". Descarga.com. Archived from the original on 16 September 2000. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  3. "Latin Music USA". PBS. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  4. Rossi, Rosemary (16 February 2021). "Johnny Pacheco, Salsa Music Pioneer, Dies at 85". Yahoo!.
  5. Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 1887/8. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  6. "Cápsulas genealógicasRestauración, soldados españoles y genealogía". Hoy.com.do. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  7. "Instituto Dominicano de Genealogía, Inc". Idg.org.do. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  8. "Huellas de familia" (PDF). Idg.org.do. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  9. Tenreyro, Tatiana (16 February 2021). "R.I.P. Salsa pioneer and Fania Records co-founder Johnny Pacheco". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  10. Campo Uribe, Andrés (April 2005). "Johnny Pacheco: una invocación musical". Herencia Latina (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  11. Amorosi, A. D. (16 February 2021). "Johnny Pacheco, Influential Salsa Musician and Fania Records Co-Founder, Dies at 85". Variety. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  12. Thompson, Robert Farris (28 October 1961). "Portrait of the Pachanga". Saturday Review. 44 (4): 43.
  13. "Johnny Pacheco, the 'Godfather of Salsa' and soul of Fania Records, dies at 85". Los Angeles Times. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  14. Orejuela, Adriana (2006). El son no se fue de Cuba: claves para una historia 1959–1973 (in Spanish). Havana, Cuba: Editorial Letras Cubanas. p. 203. ISBN 9789591011497.
  15. Lorenci, Miguel (16 February 2021). "Johnny Pacheco, padre y leyenda de la salsa, muere a los 85 años". El Correo. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  16. Clarke, Donald, The Penguin Encyclopedia Of Popular Music, ISBN 0-14-051147-4
  17. Bush, John. "Live at the Red Garter, Vol. 1". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  18. Unterberger, Richie (1999). Music USA. The Rough Guide. pp. 50–51. ISBN 978-1-85828-421-7.
  19. "Iconic music festival sets: Fania All-Stars, New York City 1971". the Guardian. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  20. Evan Bailyn. "Artists – Pacheco, Johnny". Music of Puerto Rico. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  21. "Various – The Mambo Kings (Selections From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1992. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  22. "Muere Johnny Pacheco, uno de los grandes de la salsa y fundador de la Fania All Stars". France 24. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  23. Domínguez, Robert (11 March 2009). "Johnny Pacheco's birthday bash". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  24. "The Percussion Studio - The Pacheco Festival". percussionstudio.com. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  25. "Open BXRx Tuesday | 2020 Johnny Pacheco Latin Music and Jazz Festival". Bronxnet. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  26. Domínguez, Robert. "Johnny Pacheco's birthday bash". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  27. "Johnny Pacheco Biography Page". Johnnypacheco.com. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  28. "International Latin Music Hall of Fame Announces Inductees for 2002". New York: Prnewswire.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  29. "2004 ASCAP Silver Pen Award Honoring Johnny Pacheco". Johnnypacheco.com. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  30. Rosero, Jessica. "'La vida es un carnaval' North Hudson celebrates 6th annual Cuban Day Parade" The Hudson Reporter; 26 May 2006
  31. Média, Bell. "Salsa Icon Johnny Pacheco Dies At 85". Iheartradio.ca. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  32. Amorosi, A. D. (16 February 2021). "Johnny Pacheco, Influential Salsa Musician and Fania Records Co-Founder, Dies at 85". Variety. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  33. "El Soberano es de Johnny Pacheco". Diariolibre.com (in European Spanish). Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  34. "Jefferson y Adrianita: "Celia y Tito" by Celia Cruz and Tito Puente – World of Dance Finals 2020". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  35. Lopez, Elias E. (15 February 2021). "Johnny Pacheco, Who Helped Bring Salsa to the World, Dies at 85". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  36. "Johnny Pacheco – Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  37. "Talking Music – Salsa Timeline: Early 1960's Cuban Roots – Descargas". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  38. "Johnny Pacheco – Album Discography (Compilations)". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  39. "Johnny Pacheco – Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  40. Almanzar, Ramón (11 August 2008). "Johnny Pacheco: "reserva musical dominicana"". Listín Diario. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  41. "Johnny Pacheco – Album Discography (Compilations)". Melaniesafkarecordings.uk. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  42. Lord, Tom (1995). The Jazz Discography. Vol. 13. Lord Music Reference. pp. 1680–1681. ISBN 9781881993124.
  43. Lord, Tom (1995). The Jazz Discography. Vol. 25. Lord Music Reference. p. W-928. ISBN 9781881993247.
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