Celia y Johnny

Cruz, Celia and Johnny Pacheco

album cover

The Best Showcase for the Queen of Salsa

Johnny Pacheco is one of the very few recording artists to shape an entire genre of music—both through his own records and as the cofounder and artistic visionary behind Fania Records. Along with his partner, an attorney named Jerry Masucci, the Dominican-born flutist and percussionist helped develop the sound and the stars of New York salsa. His productions were tight, and notable for exacting percussion foundations. From its inception in 1964, the label earned a reputation as a haven for artists, and Pacheco was one reason why: He had great instincts matching singers with songs, and then assembling constellations of specific talents around them.

When the Cuban singer Celia Cruz began working with Fania in the early '70s, she'd gone a while without a hit. Pacheco recognized that she'd done her best work in front of small bands, notably the late '50s gems she recorded in Cuba with the Trio Matamoros. He also sensed that on her subsequent U.S. recordings, the fiery singer was sometimes overwhelmed by the orchestra. For this, her first "starring" production at the label, he designated his band, which at the time featured the dazzling pianist Papo Lucca and tres master Charlie Rodriguez, as the backing foil. Pacheco requested material from the songwriters regularly contributing to Fania, explaining that he wanted room for Celia Cruz to shine. What came back was pure explosive groove music.

Celia y Johnny opens with "Quimbara," a chattering rumba that remains a dance-floor classic. Then comes the slightly less frantic "Toro mata," which finds Pacheco and his musicians luring Cruz into some of the most heated ad-libbed "inspirations" she ever recorded. (Indeed, just these two tracks provide a comprehensive argument for Cruz as the "Queen of Salsa.") The album's success led Fania to repeat the "stars-in-collaboration" formula (there's even a follow-up featuring Cruz and Pacheco). But this one remains the benchmark. It's the recording that spread the sweet magic of Celia Cruz the farthest.

Genre: World, Latin
Released: 1974, Fania
Key Tracks: "Quimbara," "Toro mata," "Canto a La Habana."
Catalog Choice: Azúcar: The Very Best of Celia Cruz.
Next Stop: The Fania All Stars: Commitment
After That: Rubén Blades and Willie Colón: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly).
Book Pages: 197–198