Grupo Niche
Emanating from Cali, Colombia, Grupo Niche is led by Jairo Varela, whose many roles include composer, arranger, musical director, vocalist and percussionist. For their albums between 1981 and 1986, Niche's salsa orquesta instrumentation included a front-line of saxophone, flute, two or three trumpets and one or two trombones, a rhythm section (timbales, conga, bongo, giro, maracas, bass, piano) and voices (lead and chorus). On the first two albums, Varela and trombonist Alexis Lozano shared musical direction and arranging chores. Querer Es Poder featured a trio of lead singers: Alvaro del Castillo, Homer "Tuto' Jim‚nez and La Coco Lozano (Alexis' sister). Tuto and La Coco departed. Oscar Alberto Abueta shared lead vocals with del Castillo on the 1982 follow-up Preparate ... Grupo Niche Vol. 2. Abueta left and relocated to Miami. Tuto returned to replace him on 1983"s Niche (aka Directo Desde New York). Tres, a Cuban six or nine-string guitar, was added to the band. Varela became the sole musical director on Niche and remained so on the following six albums released between 1984 and 1988. Lozano played trombone and co-arranged (with Varela) on the record; he departed to found and lead Orquesta Guayac n. After Niche, del Castillo left to record as a solo artist. Tuto also departed and appeared on the 1987 and 1988 albums by La Cali Charanga. Moncho Santana sang lead vocals on No Hay Quinto Malo (1984) and Se Pas¢! (1985, aka Triunfo); the former contained Niche's anthem "Cali Pachanguero" (Partying Cali). Varela's arrangements were transcribed by pianist and founder member, Nicol s Cristancho "Macab¡', on both albums. Alberto Barros played trombone and shared the task of transcription with Macab¡ on Se Pas¢! and Me Huele A Matrimonio (1986). Santana left after Se Pas¢! and recorded with Grupo Star and Manuel Bravo Y Su Orquesta Palenque, before making his solo debut with Aqui Estoy! in 1990. Puerto Rican Tito G¢mez (b. Luis Alberto G¢mez, 9 April 1948, Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, d. 12 June 2007, Cali, Columbia) joined Niche as co-lead singer on Me Huele A Matrimonio. Niche and G¢mez's voice, with its melancholic catch, blended splendidly. Macab¡ left after 1986"s Grupo Niche Con Cuerdas to become a regular accompanist with Alberto "El Conejo" Barros' Los Titanes as well as a busy session musician. He was replaced by Alvaro Cabarcas "Pelusa" on the double Historia Musical in 1987, which contained re-recordings and re-arrangements of songs from Niche's previous albums. Sadly, Varela dropped saxophone and flute from the line-up on this and further albums. Venezuelan C‚sar Monge, former musical director, arranger and trombonist with Dimensi¢n Latina, was hired to play and transcribe for the rejigged Niche, which sported a front-line of two trombones and two trumpets only.

Listen to Grupo Niche at Finetune.

Albums
Top Tracks
  • Una Aventura
  • Cali Pachanguero
  • Hagamos Lo Que Diga El Corazón
  • La Magia De Tus Besos
  • Sin Sentimientos
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