Grupo Niche

Cali, Colombia are proud of two things Caleñas and the Slasa!
Grupo Niche is an institution and the most requested salsa-band from Latin-America. Now and then they make the crossing to Europe, in August they're doing it again by invitation of Antilliaanse Feesten.

Group Niche was founded by Jairo Varela and Alexis Lozano (who quickly left the band and founded Guayacan (AF'13!)). Jairo wrote a lot of classics in the '80's and '90's and the band became an institution.
Ever since the death of Jairo Varela in 2012 the band is tightly managed by his daughter Yanila: she cherishes the sweet memories of Hoogstraten, because it was her first European trip with her father as a teenager.

As a tribute to Jairo, the city of Cali revealed a musical sculpture in the shape of a giga-trumpet.