How Grupo Niche Scored a Global Smash 40 Years Ago With ‘Cali Pachanguero’

Five years after the 15-piece salsa band Grupo Niche formed in 1979, the Colombian act scored an early international gig in New York, even then an immigrant hub for Colombians. There, while reminiscing about his homeland, Jairo Varela — the group’s producer, songwriter, vocalist and guiro player — wrote “Cali Pachanguero.” The fast-paced salsa track with dazzling metal arrangements and syncopated beats paid homage to Cali, the bustling Colombian city known for its salsa scene and nightlife — and the place that would become Varela’s adopted home.

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“Cali Pachanguero” was included on the band’s fourth studio album, 1984’s No Hay Quinto Malo , and was named the official song of the annual Cali Fair the year it was released. More importantly, “Cali” catapulted Grupo Niche to national fame and changed the trajectory of both the band and Colombian salsa. The song’s popularity grew through the years, becoming an anthem for Colombians abroad and for salsa lovers around the world.

“The song was the platform to launch a new era for the band,” says Varela’s daughter, Yanila Varela, who has managed Grupo Niche and kept the band and its legacy alive since her father’s death in 2012 at the age of 62.

“Cali Pachanguero” was key in establishing Grupo Niche’s signature metal arrangements — a mix of three trumpets, two trombones and saxophone that remains unchanged in today’s iteration of the group, which plays concerts and festivals worldwide. Varela says that even though her father understood the importance of his group overall and “Cali” in particular, “There are things he unfortunately didn’t live to see. He knew his songs were beloved but never imagined the enormous impact they would have.”

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Grupo Niche toured Europe last year, and Varela recalls how the crowds in Spain knew every word to the song. In November, the act won a Latin Grammy for best salsa album for Niche Sinfónico , which included a symphonic version of “Cali Pachanguero.” This year, the song’s 40th anniversary will be celebrated with Grupo Niche’s first performance at the Billboard Latin Music Awards.

“I realized this is a song not only for Colombians,” Varela says ahead of the celebration, “but for the world.”

This story appears in the Sept. 28, 2024, issue of Billboard.

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