Colombia's hottest salsa band lights up tropical clubs around the globe.
About Grupo Niche
Hometown
Cali, Columbia
Formed
1979
Genre
Música tropical
Colombian salsa/tropical band Grupo Niche was founded in 1980 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Jairo Varela and Alexis Lozano, the band’s trombone player and arranger.
∙ Their breakout album, 1981’s Querer es Poder, featured their first salsa hit, “Buenaventura y Caney,” and led to their debut US tour.
∙ Known for their energetic dance music, Grupo Niche became the first Colombian orchestra to perform at Madison Square Garden, as part of the 1986 World Salsa Festival.
∙ The group played a concert in front of one million fans at Lima, Peru’s Campo de Marte park in 1989.
∙ Tocando el Cielo Con Las Manos, their first release after Varela’s death, reached No. 10 on Billboard’s Tropical Albums chart in 2013.
∙ They’ve earned multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations over the years, with a Best Salsa Album Latin Grammy win in 2020 for 40.
∙ In 2020, Colombian dance company Delirio held a virtual party featuring thousands of salseros performing the band’s signature tune, “Cali Pachanguero.”
Members of Grupo Niche include, or have included, Jairo Varela, Alexis Lozano, Adolfo Echeverria and more.
Influenced by Grupo NicheGrupo Niche has influenced the music of Nikki Alva, Caleño, Stone Isaza and more.