La Excelencia is a great New York salsa band led by New York Colombian Julian Silva. This is salsa for dancing, not romancing (unless you’re just warming up).
The band plays straight-ahead New York salsa dura (1970s hard salsa), but Silva is originally from Cali, Colombia, “La Capital de la Salsa.” That’s a great mix because salsa Colombiana is one of the great salsa traditions.
La Excelencia in New York City
Bryant Park
La Excelencia, led by New York Colombian Julian Silva, plays New York salsa dura for dancing; for a Carnegie Hall Citywide Bryant Park Picnic Performance; at Bryant Park in Midtown, Manhattan; on Friday, August 2, 2024 at 7pm. FREE. carnegiehall.org 🇨🇴
Greenwich Village
La Excelencia plays New York salsa dura for dancing; at Gonzalez y Gonzalez salsa club and Mexican restaurant in Greenwich Village; on Saturday, January 27, 2024, from 11pm – 3am. 🇨🇴
Lincoln Center
Colombian salseros La Excelencia play New York salsa dura for a ¡Vaya! Dance Party in the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center; on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 7:30pm. FREE. lincolncenter.org 🇨🇴
La Excelencia
The band was founded in New York City in 2005. It is led by Colombian New Yorker Julian Silva. La Excelencia is popular with salsa dancers. We love that old groove.
The band’s sound is classic New York salsa dura of the 1970s. The music was grittier then. The players came up from the street, not out of music schools. New York in the 1970s had an edge to it, and it was dirty. It was beautiful.
La Excelencia channels the Golden Age of Salsa. It never left the Caribbean, but it’s great to hear this style of music being made in New York City again.
Lineup
The band’s 2020 lineup was:
- Gilberto Velazquez on lead vocals
- Jonathan Powell on trumpet
- Keefe Martin on trumpet
- Ronald Prokopez on trombone
- Mike Engstrom on trombone
- Willy Rodriquez on piano
- Luis Arona on bass
- Julian Silva on timbales
- Jonathan Gomez on congas
- Nestor Villar on bongo
Albums
- Machete (2020)
- Salsa Na’ Ma (2019)
- Ecos Del Barrio (2012)
- Mi Tumbao Social (2009)
- Salsa Con Conciencia (2006)
Venues
- Lincoln Center
- SOB’s (Sounds of Brazil)
Follow
Follow the band at laexcelencia.net
Instagram @laexcelencia_salsadura