Juan Azarías Pacheco Knipping, known as Johnny Pacheco, was a Dominican musician, arranger, composer, bandleader, and record producer.
Pacheco became one of the leading exponents of a new dance fad at the time called the pachanga, a blend of Cuban rhythms and merengue, that propelled him to worldwide notoriety and founder of The Fania All-Stars.
His official website was down but says, Johnny Pacheco has been at the center of the Latin music universe. His nine Grammy nominations, ten Gold records, and numerous awards pay tribute to his creative talent as composer, arranger, bandleader, and producer. Moreover, he is the pioneer of an unforgettable musical era that changed the face of tropical music history, The Fania All-Stars.
The label’s musicians included salsa icons like Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, and Celia Cruz, with Pacheco writing songs including Lavoe’s signature “Mi Gente.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkO2UgeXrlY
He also continued to perform with his new band Pacheco y Su Nuevo Tumbao as well as the label supergroup Fania All-Stars. In 1974, he renamed his band Pacheco y Su Tumbao Añejo. He released his last album, Sima!, as a solo artist in 1993. He earned a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 Latin Grammys.
