Formed in 1978 in Bogata, Columbia, Grupo Niche enjoys popularity and a solid fan base throughout Latin America.  They are now based in Cali, Columbia.  The group was founded by Jaira Varela and Alexis Lazona.  Over the years, Varela has become the band's producer, drector, songwriter, vocalist, and guiro player.

Grupo Niche

Who would have said barely 10 years ago that there would be half a dozen salsa bands in Colombia challenging the very best from Puerto Rico and New York? If one man can be responsible, it is Jairo Varela, whose body of work with Niche is the single most impressive songwriting and arranging achievement in salsa during the 80s.

The Early Years

Formed in 1978 in Bogata, Columbia, Grupo Niche enjoys popularity and a solid fan base throughout Latin America.  They are now based in Cali, Columbia.  The group was founded by Jaira Varela and Alexis Lazona.  Over the years, Varela has become the band's producer, drector, songwriter, vocalist, and guiro player.  Lozano, on the other hand, left the band as their trombone player to form his own group.

Their debut album, Al Pasito, was released in 1980 and was widely ignored.  Their second album, however, Querer Es Poder, enjoyed commercial success, with the breakthrough hit, Buenaventura y Caney.  Their modern, stylized salsa brought a fresh sound to Latin music that fans had not seen, even in the most popular Latin bands of the day.

On a Roll

In 1982, Grupo Niche relocated out of Bogata to Cali, Columbia. Their 1984 album, No Hay Quinto Malo, launched the hit, Cali Pachanguero, a tribute to Cali, the world's salsa capital.  The single was a huge hit and put the world's spotlight directly on Grup Niche.  Two year later, they performed at Madison Square Garden in New York City, an unprecedented honor for a Latin  salsa band.  

More than one million people attended a Grupo Niche concert in 1989 in Peru.  The massive turnout at this performance was all the evidence they needed that it was time to launch a concert tour.  In 1990, the band embarked on a European tour, followed by a 16-concert tour of large venues on Mexico.  Performances were extremely successful, often with sell-out crowds.

On Top

Grupo Niche performed and recorded for twenty-seven years.  During that time they released twenty-one albums, toured areas of the United States over one hundred times, performed and competed at numerous Columbian festivals, and won the hearts of fans everywhere.  Their uptempo dance music and romantic tropical ballads are favorites to stream and download on line, with mp3 versions of their hits available on multiple music sites.

Grupo Niche has had  eleven albums appear on the Billboard Top Tropical Albums chart and two on Top Latin Albums.  They continue to perform, with a concert date in San Francisco in April of 2010.  No announcements have been made about a new album, as they have been touring almost non-stop for the past few years.

Did you know . . .

1. Tito Gomez, who fronted Grupo Niche from 1985 through 1993 died in 2007.

2. Grupo Niche was such a huge success by the mid 1980s, that a spin-off band was created, entitled, Orquesta Guayacan.  

3. Jairo Varela, who is credited to be the brain and talent responsible for creating Grupo Niche and moving them toward greatness, cannot read music.

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