La Excelencia is a great New York hard salsa band led by Julian Silva. This is salsa for dancing, not romancing (unless you’re just warming up).
This is 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.
Machete
May 21, 2021 ~ The band released “Machete” the official video.
Watch it. It’s real. It’s about the times we are living through. Really, who do you call when the police are causing the violence, blaming it on the people, ruining lives, and are almost never punished for it? To make real change in the United States, we need to run for political office and support those who do.
La Excelencia released “Machete,” it’s first album in several years on March 20, 2020 the week after the COVID pandemic shutdown. We’re glad you’re still here. Sigue la rumba.
SOB’S
Friday, March 20, 2020 ~ La Excelencia celebrates the release of “Machete” with a show at SOB’s in Hudson Square, NYC (West SoHo) at 8:30 & 10pm. 21+ From $15
The show was cancelled by the CoronaVirus pandemic.
Salsa Na’ Ma
La Excelencia released the first single from its coming album “Salsa Na’ Ma” in 2019. The title is a Caribbean accent for “salsa nada mas” (salsa, nothing more). That’s how we speak in the Caribbean.
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 is:
- 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
La Excelencia Albums
- Machete (2020)
- Ecos Del Barrio (2012)
- Mi Tumbao Social (2009)
- Salsa Con Conciencia (2006)
