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Colombian NYC

Colombian NYC is New York’s fifth largest Latin community with over 100,000 New York Colombians in 2019. NYC’s “Little Colombia” is in Jackson Heights.

Colombia is famous for its Cumbia & Vallenato, Salsa Colombiana and Reggaeton culture. The Indigenous Gaita flute is beautiful. Colombians are proud of their Paso Fino horses. Most roses sold in the United States are grown in Colombia. Colombian coffee is very good.

Colombian NYC News

April 25, 2022

Feb | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Nov | Dec

Colombian Art

Oscar Murillo : Ourself behind ourself concealed, new paintings on the dark spirits in the news, opens with a reception at David Zwirner in Chelsea, Thu, Apr 28 from 6-8pm and runs to Jun 4. davidzwirner.com 🇨🇴

South American NYC

The Year in Colombian NYC

Colombian NYC
February

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Colombian NYC
April

Annabelle Lopez Ochoa

Ballet Hispánico presents the world premiere of its first full-length commission, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Doña Perón at the City Center Dance Festival at New York City Center in Midtown, Manhattan on April 1-3. From $35. 🇨🇴

Colombian Film Festival

The 9th Colombian Film Festival New York is at Cinépolis in Chelsea, Manhattan, Thu-Sun, April 21-24. colfilmny.com 🇨🇴

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Colombian NYC
May

J Balvin

J Balvin brings his “Jose Tour 2022” of Colombian Reggaeton to Barclays Center in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn on Sun, May 22 at 7pm. From $67. 🇨🇴

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Colombian NYC
June

Grupo Niche

Grupo Niche plays Salsa Colombiana at Barclays Center in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn during New York Puerto Rico Week on Sat, Jun 11. 🇨🇴

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Colombian NYC
July

Colombians celebrate our patron saint and independence in July.

Feria de Las Flores

The Colombian Flower Festival (Feria de las Flores) is on 37th Ave in Jackson Heights, Queens on Sun, Jul 17. (2019) 🇨🇴 [To be confirmed]

NYC Colombian Parade

NYC’s Colombian Parade is on Northern Blvd in Jackson Heights, Queens on Sun, Jul 24. 🇨🇴 [To be confirmed]

Celebrate Our Lady of Chiquinquirá, patron saint of Colombia, on Sat, July 9. 🇨🇴

Celebrate Colombian Independence Day, 20 de Julio, on Wed, July 20. 🇨🇴

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Colombian NYC
August

Remember the Battle of Boyacá, the tipping point in the liberation of northern South America, on Sun, Aug 7. 🇨🇴

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Colombian NYC
November

Remember Joe Arroyo, the father of Salsa Colombiana, who was born in Cartagena, Colombian on Nov 1, 1955. 🇨🇴

Celebrate the Immaculate Conception on Thu, Dec 8. 🇨🇴

Celebrate La Novena de Aguinaldos from Dec 16-24. 🇨🇴

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Colombian NYC
December

Celebrate Día de las Velitas, the Colombian festival of lights on Wed, Dec 7. 🇨🇴

Celebrate the Immaculate Conception on Thu, Dec 8. 🇨🇴

Celebrate La Novena de Aguinaldos from Dec 16-24. 🇨🇴

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Previously in Colombian NYC

Colombian comic Diego Mateus is at Broadway Comedy Club in Hell’s Kitchen on Sun, Apr 24 at 7pm. $27.50. 🇨🇴

Fernando Botero, an exhibition of paintings, sculpture and works on paper by the 90-year-old Colombian artist, opens with a reception at David Benrimon Fine Art in Midtown East, Thu, Mar 10 from 6-8pm, and runs to Apr 19. davidbenrimon.com 🇨🇴

Fernando Botero: Sphinx is unveiled at 14th St Square in the Meatpacking District on Wed, Mar 9 at 2pm, and remains to Apr 19. davidbenrimon.com 🇨🇴

Dance Theatre of Harlem at the 1st City Center Dance Festival starts with a Gala Performance that includes the NY premieres of “Higher Ground” and an extended “Balamouk” by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa at New York City Center in Midtown, Tue, Apr 5 at 7pm and regular performances Fri-Sun, Apr 8-10. From $35. 🇧🇷🇨🇴🇨🇺🇭🇹🇺🇸

Daniel Calderon y Los Gigantes play Colombian Vallenato, and Arelys Henao sings Colombian Rancheras for dancing at La Boom in Woodside, Queens on Fri, Apr 8 at 10pm. From $48. 🇨🇴

Ballet Hispánico presents the world premiere of its first full-length commission, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Doña Perón at the City Center Dance Festival at New York City Center in Midtown on Apr 1-3. From $35. 🇨🇴

March 2022

Marry Me, the hilarious new romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez Maluma and Owen Wilson, opens Valentines Weekend, Fri, Feb 11. 🇨🇴🇵🇷

La Cumbiamba eNe Yé celebrates their “Resplandor” album release of Colombian Cumbia at Terraza 7 in Elmhurst, Queens on Fri, Mar 25 at 9pm. $20. 🇨🇴

Wilmer Manga sings Colombian Vallenato at Sabor Latino in Elmhurst, Queens on Fri, Mar 11 after midnight (10pm doors). $20. 🇨🇴

Latin American Art, including a newly discovered Diego Rivera, goes on view at Christie’s in Rockefeller Center on Wed, Mar 2-10 for auction Fri, Mar 11 at 11am.
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February 2022

Salsa Cabaret by Cali Salsa Pal Mundo with guest singer Anissa Gathers is at the Thalia Spanish Theatre in Sunnyside, Queens, Fri-Sun, Feb 4-27. From $40. 🇨🇴

The 7th Neighboring Scenes Latin American film festival is in person at Film at Lincoln Center, Feb 24-28. $15 per film or $80 All-Access Pass ($20 students). 🇦🇷🇧🇷🇨🇱🇨🇴🇨🇷🇲🇽🇵🇪🇺🇾🇻🇪

Blessd (“Medallo” #1 in Colombia) plays Colombian Reggaeton for dancing at La Boom in Woodside, Queens on Fri, Feb 25 at 10pm. From $60. 🇨🇴

Cumbia River Band plays Colombian Cumbia at Terraza 7 in Elmhurst, Queens on Fri, Feb 25 at 9pm. $15. 🇨🇴

Jean Carlos Centeno & Ronal Urbina play Colombian Venezuelan Vallenato at Sabor Latino in Elmhurst, Queens on Sat, Feb 12 after midnight (10pm doors). From $50. 🇨🇴🇻🇪

DJ Camilo, DJ Spinking, DJ Manny Mills, DJ 3Sixty and special guests spin the Spanglish Saturdays dance party at La Boom in Woodside, Queens on Sat, Feb 12 at 10pm. Guestlist free before midnight. Then $25. 🇨🇴

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Grupo Niche and India play Salsa at Radio City Music Hall in Rockefeller Center on Sat, Feb 12 at 8pm. From $96. 🇵🇷🇨🇴🇺🇸

Lina Puerta: Migration, Nature, and the Feminine is at Hunter East Harlem Gallery in El Barrio to Feb 5. kodalab.org 🇨🇴

January 2022

Surrealism Beyond Borders is at The Met Fifth Avenue in Central Park to Jan 30. 🇨🇺🇭🇹🇲🇶🇵🇷 | 🇦🇷🇨🇱🇨🇴 | 🇫🇷🇮🇹🇪🇸

The Latin Brothers play Colombian Salsa at Sabor Latino in Elmhurst, Queens on Fri, Jan 28 after midnight (9pm doors). $25. 🇨🇴

Colombian comics Joselo de Colombia and Lucho Torres make fun of Carnaval de Barranquilla at Sabor Latino in Elmhurst, Queens on Sat, Jan 22 after midnight (9pm doors). $35. 🇨🇴

Top Colombian DJ Lecktra Fire plays House for Ladies Night at La Boom in Woodside, Queens on Fri, Jan 21 at 10pm. Guestlist before midnight. 🇨🇴

The Cumbia River Band plays Colombian Cumbia at Symphony Space in the Upper West Side on Fri, Jan 21 at 7:30pm. $30. 🇨🇴

Franco Bonílla (Con Ànimo de Ofender) does Colombian standup comedy at Broadway Comedy Club in Hell’s Kitchen on Sun, Jan 16 at 7pm (6:30pm doors). $30+ 2 drinks. broadwaycomedyclub.com 🇨🇴

December 2021

Colombian standup comic Saulo García’s Quinceañera is in repertory weekends at Repertorio Español in Kips Bay, Manhattan, Fri, Dec 17 – Sun, Jan 16. 🇨🇴

La Sonora Dinamita celebrates New Year’s Eve with Colombian Cumbia at Sabor Latino in Elmhurst, Queens on Fri, Dec 31 after midnight (9pm doors). From $35. 🇨🇴

Memoria, Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s tale of a Scottish woman who starts hallucinating in the Colombian jungle, opens at IFC Center in the West Village on Sun, Dec 26. $13. 🇨🇴

Agua Bella, Jaime Enrique Aymara and Harin El Indio play Colombian and Ecuadorian Cumbia Pop at Sabor Latino in Elmhurst, Queens after midnight (9pm doors). From $35. 🇨🇴🇪🇨

Wilmer Manga y Las Musas del Vallenato play Colombian Vallenato at Sabor Latino in Elmhurst, Queens on Fri, Dec 17 after midnight (9pm doors). From $40. 🇨🇴

Los Cumpleanos play Colombian Psychedelic Cumbia at Barbès in Park Slope, Brooklyn on Fri, Dec 17 from 11pm – 1am. $20. 🇦🇷🇨🇴

The Anamaria Oramas Quartet plays Colombian Jazz at Terraza 7 in Elmhurst, Queens on Fri, Dec 17 at 10:30pm. $10. 🇨🇴

Folklore Urbano Orchestra “El Barrio Project” plays Colombian Salsa at Terraza 7 in Elmhurst, Queens on Fri, Dec 10 at 7pm. 🇨🇴

November 2021

Añoranza de Colombia (Twitter)

Harold Puente’s Añoranza de Colombia (Longing for Colombia) is at the Thalia Spanish Theatre in Sunnyside, Queens, Fri-Sun, Nov 26 – Dec 12 at 8pm (4pm Sun). From $37. 🇨🇴 

COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet is at The Joyce in Chelsea for two weeks, Tue-Sun, Nov 16-28. From $26. 🇨🇴🇮🇹🇺🇸

Havana Film Festival New York 2021 (HFFNY)

The Havana Film Festival New York opens at Village East Cinema in the East Village on Fri, Nov 5 at 6:30pm. From $20. Grammy nominee Dayramir González plays Cuban Jazz at the Afterparty. From $85. 🇨🇺🇪🇸|🇨🇦🇬🇹🇭🇳🇲🇽🇺🇸|🇦🇷🇨🇱🇨🇴🇵🇪🇻🇪|🇬🇷🇬🇧

October 2021

Juanes brings his Origin Tour to Terminal 5 in Hell’s Kitchen on Sun, Oct 17 at 8pm. From $85. 🇨🇴

Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin with special guest Sebastián Yatra, play Madison Square Garden in Chelsea, Manhattan on Sun, Oct 17 at 7:30pm. From $30. 🇪🇸🇵🇷🇨🇴

Lucia Pulido sings Colombian Boleros and Waltzes at Terraza 7 in Elmhurst, Queens on Fri, Oct 15 at 10:30pm. $10. 🇨🇴

Latin Grammy winner Samuel Torres plays Afro-Colombian Jazz from both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts at Chelsea Table and Stage on Fri, Oct 15 at 7pm. From $35. 🇨🇴

Colombian Jazz harpist Edmar Castaneda celebrates the release of his album “Family” at Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Thu Oct 14,  at 7:30 & 9:30pm. $40. 🇨🇴

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Sep 15 – Oct 15.

The 59th New York Film Festival is at Film at Lincoln Center, Fri, Sep 24 – Oct 10. 🇦🇴🇧🇴🇧🇷🇨🇦🇨🇴🇫🇷🇮🇳🇮🇹🇲🇽🇵🇹🇷🇴🇪🇸🇺🇸

The Cruce de Campeones USA National Freestyle Rap Finals are at La Boom NY in Woodside, Queens on Sat, Oct 2 at 6pm. Cacha vs Yartzi is the exhibition. From $35. 🇨🇴🇨🇺🇩🇴🇪🇨🇬🇹🇲🇽|🇦🇷🇵🇷

September 2021

Mike Bahía sings Colombian pop at La Boom in Woodside, Queens on Fri, Sep 24, 2021. From $40. 🇨🇴

The New York Yankees celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a giveaway of Yankee caps with Hispanic flags for Yankee games on Fri-Wed, Sep 17-22, 2021. From $40. mlb.com
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Paris Rodriguez shows at Fashion Designers of Latin America at Lavan541 in Chelsea, Manhattan on Tue-Wed, Sep 8-9, 2021. 🇨🇴

Colombian Archive

Colombian Festivals NYC

New York City’s big Colombian festivals include the Colombian Parade, Colombian Flower Festival and Colombian Film Festival.

Colombian New York City

The Colombian community is centered in “Little Colombia” in Jackson Heights, Queens.

John Leguizamo and Alex Sensation are New York City’s most famous Colombians. Dayssi Olarte De Kanavos is our most famous socialite.

“Little Colombia” is around Roosevelt Avenue and 84th St in Jackson Heights. Terraza 7 is a Latin jazz club in Elmhurst/Jackson Heights, Queens that was created by a Colombian doctor. When you walk in, it immediately feels like home.

Leon Tovar Gallery represents Modern Latin American Art. The gallery was founded in Bogotá.

ID Studio Theater in Mott Haven, The Bronx is a Colombian arts collective led by telenovela star Germán Jaramillo, jazz composer Pablo Mayor and choreographer Daniel Fetecua (Limón Dance).

Cali Salsa Pal Mundo teaches Salsa Colombiana (stage salsa) in Jackson Heights, Queens and hosts the Queens Salsa Congress. Adriana Salgado Neira and Orlando Reyes are some of NYC’s best Argentine tango performers and teachers.

Most Colombian New Yorkers are paisas from Medellín, Antioquia. They are famed for their business sense.

Fernando Botero is the most popular Latin artist in the art auctions. He used to have an apartment and studio in the Upper East Side. There are versions of his Adam and Eve in Time Warner Center. So many people touch Adam’s manhood that it is polished like gold. They say touching it brings good luck.

Juan Valdez in Midtown East makes a great cup of Colombian coffee. b, in the Upper East Side, is Manhattan’s only Colombian restaurant/bakery. You can get a good Ajiaco there. You can’t get the famed soup at most Colombian restaurants because it’s a Bogotá speciality, whereas most Colombian restaurants in New York serve Medellín cuisine like Bandeja paisa.

Empanada Mama makes Colombian empanadas in the Lower East Side and Hell’s Kitchen. Colombian empanadas are fried, but not greasy. Pollos Mario fried chicken is a Colombian tradition for watching football (soccer).

Famous Colombians

Colombian Culture

Cumbia is originally Colombian from the Caribbean region.

Salsa Colombiana is also Caribbean, especially from Barranquilla, Atlantico, but is now centered in Cali, Valle de Cauca. Cali has a unique stage salsa culture.

There is a strong group of reggaetoneros, including some Puerto Ricans, in Medellín, Antioquia.

Medellín has strong tango culture. Paisas even speak Castellano like Argentines. Tango icon Carlos Gardel died in a plane crash on his way to a performance in Medellín.

Colombians are crazy for Christmas nativities. Moms compete to have the best one in the neighborhood.

Colombia

Colombia has many distinct regions including Caribbean and Pacific coasts, Andes mountains, Llanos plains and Amazon rainforests. The cultural diversity that goes with that is surprising for a single nation. It is also one of the world’s most biodiverse countries.

Ironically the longest civil war in the Americas (since 1964) kept many regions from developing so old ways remain. Today you can travel through most of the country and discover the riches of Colombian culture.

Colombian cumbia dancers at Barranquilla Carnival (Pablo Hidalgo/Dreamstime)
Colombian cumbia dancers at Barranquilla Carnival (Pablo Hidalgo/Dreamstime)

The kids are dancing Colombian cumbia, the traditional dance of the Colombian Caribbean. The boy wears campesino (farmer) clothes and holds a traditional Colombian hat on the left. The girl wears a pollera, the Andalusián peasant dress that Colombian women wore in colonial times. Beauty is greatly valued in Colombia, so the girl wears a beauty queen’s crown.

Dios te bendiga.

South American

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