Grupo Niche headlines the New York Salsa Festival with Willie Colón, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Victor Manuelle, Grupo Niche, Oscar de Leon, Jerry Rivera, Tony Vega, Edgar Joel, and merengueros Oro Sólido, with percussionists Bobby Allende and Marc Quiñones; at Barclays Center in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; on Saturday, June 10, 2023 at 8pm. From $84. 🇵🇷 🇩🇴 🇨🇴 🇻🇪
Grupo Niche is a Colombian Party
Grupo Niche from Cali is one of Colombia’s seminal Salsa bands. The band, founded by Jairo Varela and Alexis Lozano in 1978, still tours regularly with new members.
The band’s anthems include “Cali Pachanguero” and Una Aventura. A “Pachanguero” is a party person, what in New York we call a “Club Kid.” “Una Aventura,” which literally means “an adventure” is Colombian slang for an affair or a one-night stand.
Cali is the Capital of Salsa. Salsa music and dancing are deeply embedded in Cali’s cultural identity. At parties in Colombia, you want to dance with a Caleño.
If you are with Colombians, play some Niche and everyone will have a great time. If you are lucky you might even have una aventura.
Grupo Niche is the Cali Sound
Singer-songwriter Jairo Varela started the band in 1980. Cali Pachanguero (Cali Party Guy) from 1984’s No Hay Quinto Malo made them one of Colombia’s top bands. It is the national anthem of Cali, Colombia.
In 1985, founding member Alexis Lozano left Niche to found Orquesta Guayacán, another popular Colombian Salsa band. Band members would switch back and forth.
In the late 1980s the band went global. Niche is one of those long-lived national treasures that both absorbed and spun off a lot of talent over the years. They just keep playing Jairo Varela’s music. Great music is eternal.
For more information, visit GrupoNiche.com
Previously in New York City
- Barclays Center
- Bergen Performing Arts Center
- Kupferberg Center
- La Boom
- New Jersey Performing Arts Center
- Radio City Music Hall