Johnny Pacheco - Other Achievements

Other Achievements

Pacheco has recorded and composed over 150 songs. Among them are "Mi Gente", "La Dicha Mia", "Quitate Tu" (Pa’ Ponerme Yo), "Acuyuye," "El Rey de la Puntualidad," Tito Puente‘s "El Numéro Cien," and Celia Cruz's "Celia y Tito." His nine Grammy nominations, ten Gold records and numerous awards acknowledge his creative talent as composer, arranger, bandleader and producer.

Pacheco has also been an inspiration to the younger generations. For example, rap artist Mangu asked him to write arrangements, sing chorus, and play the flute in his album "Calle Luna y Calle Sol". Pacheco also produced music for feature films; he was the musical director of the film, Our Latin Thing, the first film about salsa and its influence on New York Latinos; in 1974, he worked on a second film entitled Salsa. In the 1980s, he wrote the musical scores and themes for the films Mondo New York, and Something Wild. The latter was a collaboration with David Byrne, the lead singer of the group Talking Heads. Several tracks that he arranged, produced, and/or performed were on the soundtrack of the 1992 Warner Brothersfilm The Mambo Kings.

Pacheco participated in the AIDS benefit concert "Concierto Por La Vida," in November 1988 at New York City's Avery Fisher Hall. He demonstrated his solidarity with the victims of Hurricane Georges (Zhorzh) by collaborating with the Hispanic Federation Relief Fund during "Hurricane Georges Relief Fund 1998". This event was transmitted live across the northeastern United States by the NBC television network. He also participated at an event at Hostos Community College for the same purpose.