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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.

Colombian is known for its Cumbia & Vallenato, Salsa Colombiana and Reggaeton culture. Paso Fino horses are popular.

Colombian NYC News

Saulo Garcia "Quinceañera" (Artist/Repertorio)
Saulo Garcia “Quinceañera” (Artist/Repertorio)

Standup

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

House Music

Top Colombian DJ Lecktra Fire plays House for Ladies Night at La Boom in Woodside, Queens on Fri, Jan 14 at 10pm. Guestlist before midnight. 🇨🇴

Standup

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 🇨🇴

More

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

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. 🇵🇷🇨🇴🇺🇸

Ongoing

Modern Art

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

Contemporary Art

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

The Year in Colombian NYC

Dates are 2022 unless noted.

April Colombian NYC

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. 🇨🇴

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

May Colombian NYC

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. 🇨🇴

July Colombian NYC

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

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

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

August Colombian NYC

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

November Colombian NYC

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. 🇨🇴

December Colombian NYC

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. 🇨🇴

Previously in Colombian NYC

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. 🇨🇴

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. 🇨🇺🇪🇸|🇨🇦🇬🇹🇭🇳🇲🇽🇺🇸|🇦🇷🇨🇱🇨🇴🇵🇪🇻🇪|🇬🇷🇬🇧

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. 🇨🇴🇨🇺🇩🇴🇪🇨🇬🇹🇲🇽|🇦🇷🇵🇷

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
🇦🇷🇧🇴🇧🇷🇨🇱🇨🇴🇨🇷🇨🇺🇩🇴🇪🇨🇸🇻🇬🇹🇭🇳🇲🇽🇳🇮🇵🇦🇵🇾🇵🇪🇵🇷🇪🇸🇺🇾🇻🇪

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).

Colombian New Yorkers

En el Ojo de la Aguja

September 7-22, 2019
HELL’S KITCHEN, NYC ~ A Colombian director and his theatre company explore how in the age of the internet and social media, actually communicating has become harder than threading a needle. In Spanish with English subtltles.

Continue Reading En el Ojo de la Aguja

John Leguizamo

NETFLIX, Oct 25, 2018 ~ Leguizamo makes it funny, but our ignorance of our own culture is no joke. We have a lot to be proud of – in our own culture and in our contributions to American culture.
# colombian latin history netflix tv broadway off-broadway

Continue Reading John Leguizamo

Colombians & Colombian-Americans

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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