Tiempo: Remembering salsa pioneer, musician Johnny Pacheco

WABC logo
Sunday, February 21, 2021
Tiempo: Remembering Dominican musician Johnny Pacheco
Joe Torres with this week's episode of "Tiempo."

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- In this episode of Tiempo, remembering legendary musician Johnny Pacheco.

The salsa pioneer died last week, so far there is no word on the official cause of death.

The music maestro had many talents.

He was a bandleader, composer, and accomplished musician.

Pacheco co-founded Fania Records, the music label that brought salsa to a worldwide audience.

Born in the Dominican Republic and raised here in New York City, he experimented with different musical styles and helped create the genre known today as salsa.

Joe talks to actor and singer Ruben Blades, who performed alongside Pacheco with the Fania All-Stars, about the life and legacy of his friend Johnny Pacheco.

Plus, the number of Latino students arriving on college campuses in recent years has been strong.

But the higher education landscape may be threatened by the coronavirus pandemic.

Here in New York City, St. Francis College in Brooklyn is one of the very few colleges with both a Latino president and a large Hispanic student body.

Joe Torres speaks to Miguel Martinez-Saenz, President of St. Francis College, about how he guides his students through the unique challenges of the COVID-19 health crisis.

WATCH Tiempo on our Connected TV apps for Fire, Roku, Apple TV and Android TV. Click here to learn more.

MORE: Watch more episodes of Tiempo here!

Tiempo airs Sunday mornings at 11:30 a.m. on Channel 7.