Latest Release

- DEC 18, 2022
- 7 Songs
- Celia & Johnny · 1969
- The 'Brillante' Best · 1969
- Greatest Hits · 1969
- La Perfecta Combinación · 1970
- Celia & Johnny · 1974
- Recordando El Ayer · 1976
- The 'Brillante' Best · 1978
- Anthology · 1969
- Greatest Hits · 1974
Essential Albums
- One of the smartest moves salsa bandleader Johnny Pacheco ever made was to lure veteran vocalist Celia Cruz back into the studio after an extended break. His trademark infectious groove, built on lively percussion and horns, proves an ideal match for Cruz's flexible vocals. One of her signature tunes, "Quimbara" is a Cuban rhumba that allows her some joyful interplay with the backup singers. And she gets sensual on the samba "Vieja Luna."
- 2022
- 2019
- 2004
- 2000
- 1993
Artist Playlists
- A pioneer who shaped and championed the sounds of salsa music.
Live Albums
Compilations
- 2000
- 1974
- 1971
Appears On
- Monguito "El Unico"
- Monguito "El Unico"
- Monguito "El Unico"
- Charlie Palmieri And His Orchestra
About Johnny Pacheco
Few people had an impact on Latin music quite like Johnny Pacheco. A co-founder of the groundbreaking Fania Records, the Dominican Republic-born artist played a vital role both in shaping and championing the sounds of salsa and música tropical. Beginning in the 1960s and ending in the 1990s, his recorded output was a marvel of Caribbean influence and New York inspiration, from his work as a bandleader for the Fania All-Stars and his Tumbao Añejo to his percussive sideman showmanship on records by McCoy Tyner and George Benson. Yet it was Pacheco’s collaborations with irreplaceable vocal talents like Celia Cruz and Pete "El Conde” Rodríguez that best represented his greatness, leading to such classics as “Quimbara” and “La Esencia Del Guaguancó.”
- HOMETOWN
- Santiago de Los Caballeros, Dominican Republic
- BORN
- March 25, 1935