Born in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, he became a pioneer in Latin music.
Among other things, he must have been the one behind the term "salsa".
Some of his most famous songs are "Quimbara", "Toro mata" and "Mi gente".
Together with Jerry Masucci, he also founded the record company Fania Records in 1964. In 1968, he formed the music group Fania All-Stars, of which a large number of influential salsa musicians have been members.
He was nominated for a Grammy nine times and received a medal for his lifetime achievement of the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.
Pacheco passed away after being hospitalized for pneumonia.