ANNOUNCING A SPECIAL REISSUE OF FANIA RECORDS’ DEBUT ALBUM, CAÑONAZO, FROM LEGENDARY CO-FOUNDER JOHNNY PACHECO

Craft Latino continues its celebration of Fania Records’ 60^th anniversary by reissuing one of its most important albums: Johnny Pacheco’s Cañonazo—the 1964 release that launched the influential label. Pacheco, who co-founded Fania, served as its creative figurehead, while his work as a musician, composer, arranger, producer, and bandleader was instrumental in shaping the modern Latin music landscape. Cañonazo also ushered in a new era for Pacheco, as it introduced his new band, Pacheco y su Nuevo Tumbao, featuring Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez on vocals.

Comprised primarily of popular Cuban songs from the day (including the label’s namesake, “Fania”) as well as the Pacheco original, “Dakar, Punto Final,” the long out-of-print Cañonazo returns to vinyl on September 13, and is available for pre-order now. Featuring all-analog mastering by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, the album is pressed on 180-gram vinyl and housed in an old-school style tip-on jacket, replicating its original artwork. A 180-gram “Red Smoke” color vinyl variant (limited to 300 copies), with a bundle option that includes a collectible Fania T-shirt, is available for pre-order at at the Craft store. Additionally, Cañonazo will make its debut in 192/24 HD digital audio.

Throughout the year, Craft Latino will honor Fania Records’ enduring legacy—as well as the iconic label’s foundational contributions to salsa music—with reissues such as this one, new releases, plus a host of exclusive content. Visit fania.com/fania-60^th to learn more.

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A leading figure in the New York salsa scene, Johnny Pacheco (1935–2021) shaped the sound of modern Latin music—both through his work as a musician, composer, arranger, producer, and bandleader, as well as through his role as the co-founder of Fania Records. Born in the Dominican Republic, Pacheco inherited a passion for music from his father—a leader and clarinetist for one of the country’s most popular big bands. At 11, Pacheco and his family relocated to New York City, where he honed his craft on a variety of instruments (including the violin, saxophone, and flute) and later attended the prestigious Juilliard School, where he studied percussion.

In the ’50s, Pacheco cut his chops in the legendary orchestras of Tito Puente, Xavier Cugat, and Charlie Palmieri before forming his own band, Pacheco y su Charanga, in 1960. Over the next few years, the group released a string of best-selling albums (Pacheco Y Su Charanga Vols. 1–5), toured the globe, and created a dance craze along the way, “The Pachanga” (a combination of the bandleader’s name and “charanga”). By 1963, however, Pacheco was in search of a new home for his recordings. But rather than sign with an established label, he decided to form his own. Co-founded with lawyer Jerry Masucci, Fania Records not only offered Pacheco full creative control over his work, but also allowed him to champion his fellow Latin artists, including Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Rubén Blades, Cheo Feliciano, Celia Cruz, Ray Barretto, and many others. Before long, Fania would become one of the world’s most successful and influential Latin music labels.

It was only fitting that Fania’s first album was by Pacheco himself. Released in 1964, Cañonazo ushed in a new era for the bandleader, who reorganized his popular group into a conjunto—replacing violins with trumpets and renaming the outfit Pacheco y su Nuevo Tumbao (the word Tumbao translates into any number of meanings, including style, rhythm, and attitude—all of which feel appropriate to mark the artist’s new creative journey). The album also marked Pacheco’s first of many outings with vocalist Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez, a relative newcomer at the time, who would become a major star in the scene.

Cañonazo found Pacheco interpreting popular Cuban songs from the ’50s and ’60s, including the title track, written by Evaristo Aparicioand popularized by La Sonora Matancera (featuring Celia Cruz). Other highlights include a cover of La Sonora Ponceña’s “Como Mango,” Cheo Marquetti’s “Pinareño,” and “Fanía (Funché),” a Cuban son by Reinaldo Bolaños, made famous by Estrellas de Chocolate in 1953. The song’s title also inspired Pacheco when it came to naming his new label.

With the release of Cañonazo, Fania Records began its ascent in the Latin music world. Pacheco, meanwhile, would go on to record scores of albums—both as a soloist, as well as with many of Fania’s artists, including popular titles with Celia Cruz, Justo Betancourt, and Papo Lucca. As Fania’s musical director, Pacheco oversaw hundreds of recordings and, in the late ’60s, formed the legendary Fania All Starscollective. Beginning in the ’70s, he expanded into film scoring—working on such projects as the 1972 documentary Our Latin Thing and 1974’s Salsa.

During his seven-decade-long career, Pacheco recorded and composed over 150 songs, earning 10 Gold records from the RIAA, and nine GRAMMY® nominations. Among many other honors, Pacheco received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 Latin GRAMMYs and, in 1996, was the first Latin producer to receive the NARAS Governor’s Award. Pacheco was an inaugural inductee into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame and, several years later, received their Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1996, Pacheco was celebrated by his home country with the Dominican Republic’s Presidential Medal of Honor, while in 2009, he received the highest distinction possible (the “El Soberano”) at the Dominican Republic’s annual Casandra Awards (now known as The Soberano Awards), which is the country’s equivalent to the GRAMMYs.

About Fania Records’ 60^TH Anniversary Celebration:

2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the legendary New York label Fania Records, one of the most significant Latin labels in the world, musically and culturally. In the ’60s, Fania was a pioneer in creating and spreading the sound of salsa music from New York City to the globe. In addition to salsa, Fania is the definitive home for genres such as Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo and Latin soul. Its roster of artists includes countless music legends, such as Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Cheo Feliciano and Rubén Blades, among many others. In 1968, the creation of the international supergroup known as the Fania All-Stars, a vital force in Latin music, established the label’s signature musical style, which became known as the “Fania Sound.” Today, Fania’s legacy is just as meaningful to Latin music as Stax and Motown to soul or Prestige and Blue Note to jazz. It remains a cultural beacon, illuminating a powerful American immigrant story that is as timely today as when the label launched. To celebrate Fania’s legacy on this special milestone, Craft Latino will release over a dozen remastered 180-gram vinyl reissues, over two dozen remastered digital albums, many of which will debut in hi-res digital, and a variety of content throughout the year, including curated playlists, artist spotlights and live events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and London. 

Cañonazo Tracklist (Vinyl)

Side A

1. Cañonazo
2. Como Mango
3. Pinareño
4. Cabio Sile
5. Campeon

Side B

1. El Kikiriki
2. Labrando La Tierra
3. Fania
4. Yo Soy Guajiro
5. El Pregonero
6. Dakar, Punto Final

*Digital tracklist mirrors the vinyl