{{Short description|Colombian musician and songwriter (1935–1983)}} {{distinguish|text=Colombian musician and songwriter Adolfo Pacheco}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Alberto Pacheco | birth_name = Alberto Pacheco Balmaceda | alias = | image = | caption = | landscape = | background = person | birth_date = {{birth date|1935|06|23|df=y}} | birth_place = Barranquilla, Colombia | death_date = {{death date and age|1983|09|29|1935|06|23|df=y}} | death_place = Valledupar, Colombia | genre = vallenato | spouse = Amira Callejas {{Infobox person | embed = yes | children = 5 }} | label = {{ill|Sonolux|es}}, Orbe{{r|tiempo-2000}} }}

'''Alberto Pacheco Balmaceda'''{{family name footnote|Pacheco|Balmaceda|lang=Spanish}} (1935–1983) was a Colombian musician and songwriter. He won the accordionist competition of the Vallenato Legend Festival in 1971.

==Biography== Alberto Pacheco was born on 23 June 1935 in Barranquilla.{{r|tiempo-2000}}

As a young man Pacheco would visit the Chop Suey restaurant in Barranquilla to see musicians such as Rafael Mejía Romani and his Trío Serenata perform.{{r|abc}} In the early 1950s he started to gain prominence as an accordionist with his group Los Campesinos del Magdalena, whose other members were Juan Madrid and Esteban Montano on guitar, Carlos "Comecuero" Perdomo on the {{lang|es|caja}} drum, and Carlos Vélez on guacharaca.{{r|abc}}

In 1960 Pacheco travelled to Mexico with Julio Bovea. On returning he joined the Bogotano group Los Universitarios led by Pedro García Díaz; they performed in Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union.{{r|abc|tiempo-2000}} He later toured with the folkloric groups of Sonia Osorio and Delia Zapata Olivella.{{r|abc|tiempo-2000}} Pacheco also led the group Los Cumbancheros de Pacheco, who made a successful recording of his cumbia composition "Cumbia de Santo domingo".{{r|espectador-2018}}

===The Vallenato Legend Festival=== Pacheco did not take part in the accordionist competition of the first Vallenato Legend Festival in 1968 because of previous commitments in Maracaibo, Venezuela. He did not join the second competition in 1969 because of his friendship with Colacho Mendoza, who had already announced his participation (and went on to win).{{r|espectador-2018}}

At the fourth Vallenato Legend Festival in 1971, Pacheco won the accordionist competition, beating Luis Enrique Martínez and {{ill|Emiliano Zuleta Díaz|es}}, who came second and third place respectively. His competition performances were "La Cacería" (a {{lang|es|puya}} written by Sergio Moya Molina), "El Pobre Juan" (a {{lang|es|paseo}} written by Rafael Escalona), and "Francisco El Hombre" (a merengue that he wrote himself).{{r|tiempo-2000}}

Because Pacheco was from Barranquilla, he was seen as an intruder by some at the festival.{{r|tiempo-2000|at=q|q=Pacheco...encarnaba para los ortodoxos de la región al intruso que usurpaba algo que les pertenecía sólo a ellos.}} Luis Francisco Mendoza wrote the song "Festival Vallenato" criticising Pacheco's win; ironically, a performance of the song by {{ill|Nelson Henríquez|es}} was successful in Barranquilla, winning Henríquez a Golden Congo at the Barranquilla Carnival.{{r|tiempo-2000}}

===Personal life and death=== Pacheco was married to Amira Callejas, with whom he had 5 children. He lived in Valledupar, and died there of a heart attack on 29 September 1983.{{r|tiempo-2000}}

==Musical style and compositions== Pacheco's style on the accordion was influenced by his skill on the guitar.{{r|abc}} In 1966 he composed the {{lang|es|paseo}} "Departamento del Cesar", the "flagship song" for the campaign for the creation of the Department of Cesar, which succeeded in 1967.{{r|abc|at=410|q=en 1966 compuso el paseo "Departamento del Cesar", el tema bandera para el movimiento que cristalizaría un poco después con la creación del ente territorial del mismo nombre.}} Pacheco also wrote "Viejo Valledupar", which according to ''El Tiempo'' is considered a "folkloric hymn" in Valledupar.{{r|tiempo-2000|at=q|q=Es autor del tema Viejo Valledupar considerado a través de los años un himno folclórico en la capital del Cesar.}}

==Notes== {{notelist}}

==References== <references>

<ref name=tiempo-2000>{{citation |url=https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-1247860 |title=Cuando el rey fue un Barranquillero |trans-title=When the king was a Barranquillero |language=es |work=El Tiempo |author=Roberto Llanos Rodado |date=2000-04-30 |access-date=2025-04-21}}</ref>

<ref name=abc>{{cite book |title=El abc del Vallenato |publisher=Taurus |location=Bogotá |date=April 2003 |isbn=958-704-071-6 |author=Julio Oñate Martínez |language=es |chapter=Barranquilla también tuvo su rey |pages=407–410}}</ref>

<ref name=espectador-2018>{{citation |url=https://www.elespectador.com/entretenimiento/musica/alberto-pacheco-balmaceda-el-hombre-del-acordeon-terciao/ |title=Alberto Pacheco Balmaceda: el hombre del acordeón 'terciao' |language=es |work=El Espectador |author=Félix Carrillo Hinojosa |date=2018-01-28 |access-date=2025-04-22}}</ref>

</references>

==External links== *{{discogs artist|artist=1044257-Alberto-Pacheco|name=Alberto Pacheco}}

{{Vallenato Legend Festival}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pacheco, Alberto}} Category:1935 births Category:1983 deaths Category:Vallenato musicians Category:Colombian songwriters Category:Musicians from Barranquilla