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.
El Pescador
Johnny Pacheco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La langosta fresquecita nunca falta en mi tablero
Porque tiene la masita donde se le ve primero
Aquí le traigo el serrucho, cherna, pargo y la ventrecha
Mi carga es de mar y río
Siempre la traigo completa
El camarón de la cueva requiere su trabajito
Es barato y no lo fío, traigo la almeja peseta
Mi carga es de mar y río
Siempre la traigo completa
Eh, el pescador, oye mi pregón, parguito fresco y el abulón
El pescador, oye mi pregón, con la langosta y el camarón
Pero, el pescador, oye mi pregón cabeza 'e cherna para un sopón
El pescador, oye mi pregón, con la langosta y el camarón
Con la langosta y el camarón, almeja fresca y sabroso ostión
El pescador, oye mi pregón, con la langosta y el camarón
Ay, del pescador oye mi pregón, lo traigo fresco y sin discusión
El pescador, oye mi pregón, con la langosta y el camarón
Ay, del pescador oye mi pregón, almeja viva y el tiburón
Camarone', ¿dónde 'tán lo' mamoncillo'?
Y mamoncillo', ¿dónde 'tán lo' camarone'?
Hasta el fondo 'el río
Vaya niña, compra pescaíto'
Cómetelo, cómetelo pescaíto'
El pescador, mira, tiene su pregón
Y yo pregono también con el corazón
El pescador, mira, tiene su pregón
Ay, el pescador y su carga es de lo mejor
El pescador, mira, tiene su pregón
Cómprale niña y verá' qué sabrosos son
El pescador, mira, tiene su pregón
Pescadorcito, pescado, mi pescador
El pescador, mira, tiene su pregón
Que trae parguito, la cherna y el camarón
El pescador, mira, tiene su pregón
Su carga fresca, caramba, la compro yo
El pescador, mira, tiene su pregón
Y yo pregono también como el pescador
El pescador, mira, tiene su pregón
Ajá
Mira, tiene su pregón
Mira, tiene su pregón
Mira, tiene su pregón
Mira, tiene su pregón
Mira, tiene su pregón
Mira, tiene su pregón
Mira, tiene su pregón
Mira, tiene su pregón
Con su sabor (mira, tiene su pregón)
Lo tengo yo (mira, tiene su pregón)
Y tiene su pregón, pero tiene su pregón (mira, tiene su pregón)
El pescador tiene su pregón (mira, tiene su pregón)
Ay, qué rico el pescadito que trae el pescador (mira, tiene su pregón)
Y tiene su pregón, y tiene su pregón (mira, tiene su pregón)
Ay, míralo, míralo y míralo (mira, tiene su pregón)
Ay cómprale, cómprale, cómprale que se quita (mira, tiene su pregón)
The lyrics to Celia Cruz's El Pregon Del Pescador describe the merchandise that a fisherman is selling. The fisherman has a variety of fresh seafood, including lobster, grouper, snapper, and shellfish. The song highlights the importance of the fisherman's hard work, specifically in regards to catching shrimp in the caves, which requires extra effort. The chorus encourages buyers to listen to the fisherman's call and purchase his fresh catch. The song creates a lively and festive atmosphere, as if you can hear the fisherman's call echoing through the streets.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of pride and enthusiasm for the fisherman and his merchandise. He takes pride in what he is selling and works hard to provide the freshest seafood. The song highlights the importance of buying fresh seafood directly from the fisherman, rather than going through a middleman, as it ensures that you are getting the best product directly from its source.
Line by Line Meaning
La mercancía que traigo es carga de mar y río
I bring cargo from both the sea and river
La langosta fresquecita nunca falta en mi tablero
I always have fresh lobster on my board
Porque tiene la masita donde se le ve primero
Because it has the most obvious meat
Aquí le traigo el serrucho, cherna, pargo y la ventrecha
Here I bring sawfish, grouper, snapper, and skipjack tuna
Mi carga es de mar y río
My cargo is from the sea and river
Siempre la traigo completa
I always bring it complete
El camarón de la cueva requiere su trabajito
The cave shrimp requires some work
Porque si se pesca a mano puede quedarse mochito
Because if caught by hand, it can lose its limbs
Es barato y no lo fío, traigo la almeja peseta
It's cheap and I don't suspect it, I bring the penny clam
Eh, el pescador, oye mi pregón, parguito fresco y el abulón
Hey, fisherman, hear my song, fresh snapper and abalone
El pescador, oye mi pregón, con la langosta y el camarón
Fisherman, hear my song, with lobster and shrimp
Pero, el pescador, oye mi pregón cabeza 'e cherna para un sopón
But fisherman, hear my song, the grouper's head for soup
Con la langosta y el camarón, almeja fresca y sabroso ostión
With the lobster and shrimp, fresh clam and tasty oyster
Ay, del pescador oye mi pregón, lo traigo fresco y sin discusión
Oh, fisherman, hear my song, I bring it fresh and no debate
Ay, del pescador oye mi pregón, almeja viva y el tiburón
Oh, fisherman, hear my song, live clams and shark
Camarone', ¿dónde 'tán lo' mamoncillo'?
Shrimp, where are the yellow guava?
Y mamoncillo', ¿dónde 'tán lo' camarone'?
And yellow guava, where are the shrimp?
Hasta el fondo 'el río
To the bottom of the river
Vaya niña, compra pescaíto'
Go girl, buy some little fish
Cómetelo, cómetelo pescaíto'
Eat it, eat it little fish
El pescador, mira, tiene su pregón
The fisherman, look, has his song
Y yo pregono también con el corazón
And I sing too, with my heart
Cómprale niña y verá' qué sabrosos son
Buy from him girl, and you'll see how tasty it is
Pescadorcito, pescado, mi pescador
Little fisherman, fish, my fisherman
Que trae parguito, la cherna y el camarón
Who brings snapper, grouper, and shrimp
Su carga fresca, caramba, la compro yo
His fresh cargo, damn, I buy it
Ajá
Con su sabor (mira, tiene su pregón)
With its flavor (look, it has its song)
Lo tengo yo (mira, tiene su pregón)
I have it (look, it has its song)
Pero tiene su pregón (mira, tiene su pregón)
But it has its song (look, it has its song)
El pescador tiene su pregón (mira, tiene su pregón)
The fisherman has his song (look, it has its song)
Ay, qué rico el pescadito que trae el pescador (mira, tiene su pregón)
Oh, how delicious is the little fish that the fisherman brings (look, it has its song)
Ay, míralo, míralo y míralo (mira, tiene su pregón)
Oh, look at it, look at it and look at it (look, it has its song)
Ay cómprale, cómprale, cómprale que se quita (mira, tiene su pregón)
Oh buy from him, buy from him, buy from him before it's gone (look, it has its song)
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Bobby Valentine
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind