“Cali Pachanguero,” the iconic Colombian dance track that turns 40 this year, took on a new look and sound with a thrilling performance during the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards. Celebrating four decades of the song that brought Colombian salsa to the world, its creators, Grupo Niche, performed a modern interpretation that nevertheless retained much of its signature.
Dressed in sleek yellow suits, the 15-piece band performed a rousing version of “Cali Pachanguero,” with its singers dancing up and down the stage as they improvised in a tight performance that lifted the crowd at the Billboard Latin Music Awards.
“Cali Pachanguero” was conceived and written by the late Jairo Varela, founder and leader of Grupo Niche, while on tour in New York in 1984. The song speaks nostalgically of Cali, the southwestern Colombian city nestled in a valley known for its beautiful women and a love for salsa music. With its recognizable brassy trumpet/trombone foundation and fast tempos, the song put Colombian salsa on the world map.
Although Varela died in 2012, his band has continued with a mix of new and old members and is now in the midst of its biggest tour ever, following a Grammy and Latin Grammy win. At the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the group proved that, regardless of the passage of time, good music has staying power.
The Billboard Latin Music Awards recognize the impact of Latin music on the world stage as they are the only awards based directly on the performance of albums, songs and artists in Bulletin boardweekly charts of. This year, the awards will be presented in 49 categories, covering the genres of Latin Pop, Tropical, Latin Rhythm and Local Mexican.
Finalists and eventual winners reflect the performance of new recordings Bulletin boardIts album and song charts for the period covering rankings from August 19, 2023 to the charts of September 7, 2024. Determinations are based on key fan interactions with the music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio play, and tours, attended by Bulletin board and its data partner, Luminate.
Produced by Telemundo in association with American Country Broadcast Inc., the awards can be seen on Telemundo, the Telemundo app, the Peacock streaming service and in Latin America and the Caribbean via Telemundo Internacional.
This year, the list of finalists is led by Karol G, who has 17 mentions in key categories such as Artist of the Year, tour of the Year and Global 200 Latin Artist of the Year. Bad Bunny and Peso Pluma follow closely behind with 15 mentions each. Other notable finalists include Feid, with 11 mentions, and regional Mexican stars Fuerza Regida and Junior H, both with 8 mentions, including Artist of the Year. See the full list of finalists here.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/grupo-niche-cali-pachanguero-2024-billboard-latin-music-awards-1235806443/
