Johnny Pacheco will receive a popular posthumous tribute Sunday in the center of Manhattan’s Dominican community, on Broadway Avenue and 175th Street, in front of the United Palace Theater.
The activity to say goodbye to the seasoned Dominican musician starts on Sunday at 2:00 PM and lasts until 5:00 PM.
The organizers are waiting for the presence of personalities to accompany the admirers of the great artist and express their feelings about his career and sad departure.
The call for this vigil is formulated by the Association of Art Chroniclers (Acroarte), a New York branch in which cultural and social institutions will participate.
Johnny Pacheco, who died on Monday, received the highest accolade of the Casandra awards in 2009 (today the Soberano Awards): The Great Sovereign, presented by Acroarte’s board of directors, then chaired by journalist Marivell Contreras.
The current president of the Acroarte subsidiary in New York, Lissette Montolío, said that “the departure of maestro Johnny Pacheco deeply affected everyone who knew him around the world, as an award-winning musician, father, friend and producer. A leading Dominican whose work and impressive performances for the Fania All Stars make him immortal ”.
Alexis Beltré, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Art Chroniclers Association, stated that “tropical music is losing one of the greatest figures, this outstanding ambassador of the Dominican Republic, of its image and culture of a great musical heritage that should be proud of them of us who have the same nationality ”.
Journalist Roberto Gerónimo and activist Elías Barreras are the organizers of the vigil in honor of Johnny Pacheco. Gerónimo asked that “we keep Johnny Pacheco alive, taking into account his music and his legacy”.
Elías Barreras stressed that “Zorro de Plata” was “a great man of the people and this act on Sunday is to give his people the chance to fire their idol.”
Organizers asked Pacheco’s followers to bring flowers, candles, and photos of the artist born in Santiago, Dominican Republic, on March 25, 1935 (he died at the age of 85).
“Please come with your masks and help us to keep physical distance and enforce the protocol so that we prevent all types of infection from the Covid-19 virus,” the statement sent out.