Salsa music pioneer and Fania Records co-founder Johnny Pacheco has died. Fania Records announced Pacheco’s death on Instagram Monday afternoon.
He was 85.“He was much more than a musician, bandleader, writer, arranger and producer, he was a visionary,” the Instagram post read. “His music will live on eternally and we are forever grateful to have been part of his wonderful journey.”According to the Dominican Republic newspaper Diario Libre, Pacheco died after being hospitalized with pneumonia.Pacheco teamed with Jerry Masucci to found Fania Records in 1964.
Since its creation, the record label helped propel like likes of Celia Cruz, Larry Harlow, Ray Barretto, Bobby Valentin and more into stardom.
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