Johnny Pacheco

Latin jazz composer/saxophonist Johnny Pacheco was born in the Dominican Republic in 1935. After relocating to New York in the late '40s, he learned to play sax, percussion and flute in high school. After playing with Charlie Palmieri's flute and strings orchestra, he left in 1959 to organize his own group.

With his first recording, Pacheco y Su Charanga, released by Alegre Records in 1961, Pacheco changed the sound of music throughout Latin America and ushered in the "Pachanga" (a strenous dance) era. He then founded the Fania label with attorney Gerald Masucci and proceeded to release some of the best Latin music of the '60s and '70s, helping to kick off the rise of salsa music in New York City and around the country.

Among Pacheco's classic albums are Que Suene la Flauta, Gran Pacheco Te Invita a Bailar and Pacheco at the New York World's Fair (Live).

By Erik Philbrook