By Carlos Passage
The “Pachanguero Tour” is perhaps the most ambitious tour of Grupo Niche.
With seven nominations, 1 Grammy and two Latin Grammys, the orchestra founded in 1984 by maestro Jairo Varela is living a dream, just as its 1998 song “Nuestro Sueño” says.
The dream, the “Pachanguero Tour” 2024, started in February in Australia with three sold-out dates in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and then moved on in March to Jacksonville, Panama City and at the Arsht Center in Miami.
In April Niche was in Tampa and Orlando, United States and in Colombia they were seen in Barranquilla and Barrancabermeja, and now in may great challenges await the group globally.
On May 3 they will be at the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenatain Valledupar, Colombia where regional Mexican star Carin Leon, Juan Luis Guerra, Grupo Frontera and Silvestre Dangond have also been invited.
After Valledupar, Niche will represent salsa at the world-famous New Orleans Jazz Festival on May 5, where they will share the stage with Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stone, the legend Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt, the super bands Foo Fighters, The Killers and Heart, the nostalgic Earth, Wind and Fire and The Beach Boys among many more.
The New Orleans is one of the highlights of the “Pachanguero Tour” and precedes Niche shows during May and June in Canada, Peru (two dates, Gran Teatro Nacional, May 17 -sold out- and 18), Mexico (May 23 , Gran Auditorio Naciinal of Mexico City), Chile, the United States and Colombia.
On July 11, the orchestra will cross the Atlantic to perform at one of the most anticipated events in Barcelona, the Cruilla Festival, where they will alternate with other pop stars such as the British duo Pet Shop Boys, the band The Smashing Pumpkins and the Canadian singer Avril Lavigne.
After Barcelona, Niche will return to America for three dates in Boston, Newark and Chicago, and then return to Europe for their date on July 26 at the Milan Latin Festival that features other Latin figures such as Arcangel, Olga Tañon, Jerry Rivera and Farruko. On July 27 the group will perform at the Pirineos Sur Festival in Huesca.
On July 31, Niche will make history when it closes “Noches del Botánico,” the two-month daily festival taking place at the Real Jardin Botanico Alfonso XIII of the Universidad Cumplutense de Madrid.
Before Niche, the “Noches del Botanico” will have among many others the remembered ‘crooner’ Tom Jones, the English group The Pretenders, The Cult, the Cuban Chucho Valdes, Take That and the Simple Minds from Scotland.
Leaving Madrid, Niche has an appointment on August 3 in San Juan, Puerto Rico and while awaiting confirmation of new dates on the calendar of the “Pachanguero Tour 2024”, the group will perform in Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), Los Angeles, Orlando, New York, Indianapolis, Hanover and Ledyard.
The “Pachanguero Tour” is a tribute to the iconic Niche song “Cali Pachanguero” which is turning 40 years old.
In 2022, Billboard ranked “Cali Pachanguero” as one of The 50 Greatest Latin Songs of All Time, a list that included unforgettable hits from Juanes, Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, Selena, Juan Luis Guerra, Alejandro Sanz, Willie Colon, Jose Alfredo Jimenez, Vicente Fernandez, Daddy Yankee, Celia Cruz, Mana and Soda Estereo.
A new version of “Cali Pachanguero” premieres this April 26 and will be available on all audio streaming platforms and major radio stations around the planet. An inspiring and exciting video of “Cali Pachanguero” 2024 was recorded in the streets of Cali.
Niche’s new and upcoming album is on the horizon.
Alex Torres, vocalist, recently told Billboard:
“It is going to be a wonderful album and it will surely reach a larger audience than we already have because it will be unreleased and very current, preserving the parameters and musical concept of Grupo Niche.”
