Cañonazo

Pacheco was a co-founder of the legendary Fania Records, and this was the label's first release, as rather than work with an established record company, this new label would not only be the home of his own recordings but could also allow him to work with his fellow Latin artists, creating a hugely influential roster which included Ray Barretto, Willie Colón, Celia Cruz and Rubén Blades. Latin music had already been an integral part of New York's musical fabric for many decades: mambo had its moment in the 40s, and in the 60s, in response to the Black American R&B scene, there was the boogaloo era. New York salsa fused urbane Havana son and Puerto Rican jíbaro with upbeat jazzy horns and enthusiastic percussion, integrating seamlessly and thus reflecting the city in which it was made. On Cañonazo, Johnny Pacheco interprets popular Cuban songs from the 50s and 60s. The title-track, for example, was written by Evaristo Aparicio, popularised by La Sonora Matancera, and featured Celia Cruz. There's a version of ‘Fania’, a son whose name inspired the prolific label that was to be and a cover of La Sonora Ponceña's ‘Como Mango’, all of which are irresistibly danceable.