“Cali Pachanguero,” the iconic Colombian dance track that this year turned 40 years old, got a new look and sound with a thrilling rendition during the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards. Celebrating the four decades of the song that took Colombian salsa to the world, its creators, Grupo Niche, performed a contemporary rendition that nevertheless retained much of its signature arrangements.
Dressed in elegant yellow suits, the 15-piece band performed a rousing version of “Cali Pachanguero,” its singers dancing up and down the stage as they improvised in a tight performance that got the audience at the Billboard Latin Music Awards on its feet.
“Cali Pachanguero” was conceived and written by the late Jairo Varela, the founder and leader of Grupo Niche, while touring in New York City in 1984. The song speaks nostalgically about Cali, the Southwestern Colombian city nestled in a valley and known for its beautiful women and love of salsa music. With its recognizable trumpet/trombone brass foundation and its fast-paced beats, the song put Colombian salsa on the global map.
Although Varela died in 2012, his band has lived on with a mix of new and older 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 demonstrated that, regardless of the passage of time, good music has lasting power.
The Billboard Latin Music Awards recognize the impact of Latin music on the global scene, being the only awards based directly on the performance of albums, songs and artists on Billboard‘s weekly charts. This year, awards will be presented in 49 categories, spanning the genres of Latin pop, tropical, Latin rhythm and regional Mexican.
Finalists, and the eventual winners, reflect performance of new recordings on Billboard’s albums and songs charts for the period covering rankings dated Aug. 19, 2023 through the September 7, 2024 charts. Determinations are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay and touring, tracked by Billboard and its data partner, Luminate.
Produced by Telemundo in collaboration with American Country Broadcast Inc., the awards can be seen on Telemundo, the Telemundo app, streaming service Peacock and in Latin America and the Caribbean through 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.
