Johnny Pacheco | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Juan Pablo Knipping Pacheco |
Born | Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic | 25 March 1935
Origin | New York City |
Died | 15 February 2021 Teaneck, New Jersey, United States | (aged 85)
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | |
Instruments | |
Years active | 1955–2021 |
Labels | |
Formerly of |
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]
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.