Log in to your account
Stats
Biography
The group was first formed by producer, director, songwriter, vocalist and guiro player
Jairo Varela and trombone player and arranger Alexis Lozano in 1978; they were then joined by pianist Nicholas Cristancho, bassist Francisco Garcia, conga player Luis Pacheco, and vocalists Jorge Bazán and Hector Viveros. Together they released their first album in 1980 entitled “Al Pasto,” but unfortunately, it did little to challenge the dominating salsa band of Colombia at the time. Things did turn around though with the release of their second album, “Querer es Poder,” which was released in 1981.
Following “Querer Es Poder,” the group released two more albums: “Preparate” (released in 1982) and “Directo Desde New York!” (released in 1983). Grupo Niche then released "No Hay Quinto Malo" in 1984, which featured their signature song, "Cali Pachanguero;” the tribute single to the "world salsa capital" catapulted Niche as one of the top salsa bands of Colombia. In 1986, the band incorporated Puerto Rican vocalist Tito Gomez, who had previously worked with the famous Puerto Rican salsa group, la Sonora Ponceña, and Ray Barretto, the Godfather of Latin Jazz; additionally that year, they released "Me Huele a Matrimonio". Afterward, yet another Puerto Rican joined, the pianist Israel Tanenbaum.
Having released sixteen more albums since “No Hay Quinto Malo,” the band played a show in Montreal, Canada to celebrate the independence of Columbia in 2013. That same year saw the release of “La Danza de la Chanaca,” followed a year later by “Control Absoluto.” After two more albums, the band took a recording break for at least seven years, returning in 2013 with the release of “Tocando El Cielo con Las Manos.”
Live reviews
This Colombian salsa group knows how to have a good time. Their concerts are all-singing, all-dancing, cheeky affairs with the group always excited to banter with the masses of fans they’ve picked up over the years. I’ve even seen the guys crouch down to take a selfie with a member of the audience while mid-song. Grupo Niche really does love their fans as much as their fans love them.
The synergy between Grupo Niche and their fun-loving fan group means that the guys have an extra reason to make classic hits such as "Cali Pachanguero" (which is played at every concert without fail), "Gotas de Lluvia" and "Han Cogido la Cosa" sound fresh. And boy, do they achieve it. The group plays their songs with so much verve that whether you’ve heard them played on the radio one hundred times or a thousand, it’s like a brand new experience. When I saw them perform earlier this year, Grupo Niche ended their set with "Sin Sentimientos." It’s a classic I know well, but I found myself dancing to it like it was the first time I’d heard it. This group is a lot of fun. Go dance to their live music while you have the chance!
lauratunbridge
Colombian salsa band Grupo Niche were something of an institution in Latino music through the 80s and 90s and impressively with a career that spans over three decades, they have not lost a single member. It is clear that these guys absolutely love performing together and have a fantastic relationship as they have been lucky enough to experience the shows and the travel together.
They also have a great bond with the fans as they know lots of them are regulars at the concerts and they attend over and over again because they are always guaranteed one hell of a party. They jump, dance and sing beneath the great up tempo tropical rhythms as each band member takes time to interact with them on a personal level and this receives huge screams from the audience. They leave on a particularly danceable number and are safe in the knowledge that the whole venue has had a really fun evening.
sean-ward
Grupo Niche was in Curacao on April 9, 2023 and gave a spectacular 2-hour show in the World Trade Center of Curacao.
Advantage of the shows in the World Trade Center Curacao is that the capacity of the exhibition hall is only 1,200. That gives the public the opportunity to experience the bands very close up. You cannot have this experience in other bigger venues anywhere in the world....
camscuracao
Videos (1)
