Pacheco inherited his passion for music from his father, Rafael Azarias Pacheco, who was the bandleader and clarinetist of the “Santa Cecilia Orchestra”. In the late 1940s, when Pacheco was 11, his family moved to New York City from his native Dominican Republic. He continued polishing his musical skills, learning to play accordion, violin, saxophone and clarinet. He attended the Juilliard School of Music to study percussion.
Playing the flute, saxophone and assorted percussion, Pacheco performed with Charlie Palmieri‘s Latin orchestra for a number of years before forming his own band in 1959. Experimentation was the focus of his new band, blending African music of Cuban, Dominican, and Puerto Rican heritage into what came to be known as salsa.
In 1960, he organized his first orchestra, “Pacheco y Su Charanga”. The band signed with Alegre Records and its first album “Johnny Pacheco y Su Charanga” sold over 100,000 copies within the first year. Beginning then and through the end of 1963, Pacheco introduced a new dance craze called “Pachanga”. He became an internationally renowned star and toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Moreover '"Pacheco y Su Charanga", was the first Latin band to headline the Apollo in 1962 and 1963.
The early Fania All-Stars band was made up of Johnny Pacheco, musical director and flute; Larry Harlow on piano, Bobby Valentin on bass guitar, Ray Barretto on conga, (replaced by Eddie Montalvo later on) Roberto Roena on bongo, Orestes Vilato on timbales, (replaced by Nicky Marrero later on); Willie Colón, Barry Rodgers, and Renaldo Jorge(replaced by several others) on trombones, Larry Spencer , Roberto Rodriguez (replaced by Victor Paz) and Hector “Bomberito” Zarzuela on trumpets, and Yomo Toro on the cuatro (a small Puerto Rican guitar with ten strings). The lead singers included vocalists from the Colon, Pacheco, Barretto and Harlow bands. Hector Lavoe, Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez, Adalberto Santiago, Ismael Miranda, were joined by Santitos Colon (from the Tito Puente band) and Jose Cheo Feliciano (from the Joe Cuba band). Early Fania All Stars guests were Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Joe Bataan, Monguito, Mongo Santamaria, Jimmy Sabater, La La, Louie Ramirez, Ralph Robles, Yomo Toro, Nicky Marrero, Ricardo Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz. The 1970’s line-up included Rubén Blades, Celia Cruz, Papo Lucca, Eddie Palmieri, Andy Montañez, Jorge Santana (Carlos’s brother), drummer Billy Cobham and the Cameroonian sax player Manu Dibango, who appeared as a guest in concerts and live recordings in Africa and New York.
CHA-CHA-CastaÑetas
Johnny Pacheco Lyrics
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Beneath the shade of an old walnut tree
Oh, I can still see the flowers blooming round her
Where we met on the Isle of Capri
She was as sweet as a rose at the dawning
But somehow fate hadn't meant her for me
And though I sailed with the tide in the morning
Summertime was nearly over
Blue Italian sky above
I said "Lady, I'm a rover,
Can you spare a sweet word of love?"
She whispered softly "It's best not to linger"
And then as I kissed her hand I could see
She wore a lovely meatball on her finger
't was goodbye at the villa Capri
Summertime was nearly over
Blue Italian sky above
I said "Lady, I'm a rover,
Can you spare a fine word of love?"
She whispered softly "It's best not to linger"
And then as I kissed her hand I could see
She wore a plain golden ring on her finger
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
The lyrics to the song 'CHA-CHA-CastaÑetas' by Johnny Pacheco are about a man reminiscing about a past love that he met on the Isle of Capri, an island off the coast of Italy. He describes her as sweet and beautiful, comparing her to a rose. However, fate wasn't meant to be for them and they went their separate ways. The song is filled with nostalgia as he recalls the memories of their time together on the island. The repetition of the phrase "goodbye on the Isle of Capri" at the end of the song emphasizes his longing for her and sadness at their parting.
The lyrics also describe the setting of the island with its blooming flowers and blue Italian sky. The man's attempt to express his love for the woman is met with reluctance as she wears not just one but two rings on her finger - a meatball ring and a plain golden ring. The symbolism of the rings implies that she may be already engaged or married, leaving the man with a sense of regret for not being able to have her.
Overall, 'CHA-CHA-CastaÑetas' is a bittersweet love song that captures the feelings of a lost romance and the longing for what could have been.
Line by Line Meaning
't was on the Isle of Capri that I found her
I found her on the beautiful island of Capri
Beneath the shade of an old walnut tree
We met in a lovely spot shaded by a walnut tree
Oh, I can still see the flowers blooming round her
I have vivid memories of the flowers blooming around her
Where we met on the Isle of Capri
We met each other while we were both on Capri
She was as sweet as a rose at the dawning
She was incredibly sweet and beautiful, like a rose at sunrise
But somehow fate hadn't meant her for me
Unfortunately, fate didn't have us meant to be together
And though I sailed with the tide in the morning
Even though I left the next morning when the tide was high
Still my heart's on the Isle of Capri
My heart still belongs on the beautiful island of Capri
Summertime was nearly over
The summer season was almost coming to an end
Blue Italian sky above
The sky above us was a beautiful shade of blue
I said "Lady, I'm a rover, Can you spare a sweet word of love?"
I asked her if she could give me a kind expression of love, despite my wandering ways
She whispered softly "It's best not to linger"
She gently told me that it might be best for us not to stay too long
And then as I kissed her hand I could see
As I said goodbye and kissed her hand, I noticed something
She wore a lovely meatball on her finger
She had a beautiful meatball-shaped ring on her finger
't was goodbye at the villa Capri
We said our goodbyes at the beautiful villa on Capri
She whispered softly "It's best not to linger"
Once again, she kindly warned me that we shouldn't stay too long
And then as I kissed her hand I could see
As I said goodbye and kissed her hand, I noticed something
She wore a plain golden ring on her finger
She had a simple golden ring on her finger
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
It was our final farewell on the beautiful island of Capri
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
Once again, it was our final farewell on the beautiful island of Capri
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
And one last time, it was our final goodbye on the beautiful island of Capri
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JIMMY KENNEDY, WILL GROSZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind