Orquesta Guayacán

One of the longest-running and most beloved salsa bands in their native Colombia, Orquesta Guayacán was formed in the early 1980s by trombonist and arranger Alexis Lozano. A Quibdó native, Lozano moved to the capital and formed Grupo Niche along with Jairo Varela, releasing four albums before calling it quits in 1983. He then teamed up with singer Richie Valdés for the first incarnation of Orquesta Guayacán, which also included pianist Israel Tanenbaum, and brothers William and Julio César Valdés on percussion and drums, respectively. The orchestra made its debut in 1985 with Llegó la Hora de la Verdad, which was followed by Que la Sangre Alborota (1987) and Guayacán Es la Orquesta (1988). During the 1990s, Guayacán released a string of classic salsa albums that became very popular both in Colombia and the US, including 5 Años Aferrados Al Sabor (1990), Sentimental de Punta a Punta (1991), which included the hit "Oiga, Mire, Vea," Con El Corazón Abierto (1993), and Marcando La Diferencia (1995). The group continued to perform and record well into the 21st century with albums like Oportunidad (2005), Otra Cosa (2016), and Supernatural (2019), the latter of which featured guest spots by Cuban musicians Tirso Duarte, Mayito Rivera, and Alex Matos. The single "Bogotá Salsera" arrived in 2020. Over the following years, Orquesta Guayacán cemented their status as salsa legends in Colombia through the albums Sin Par (2022) and Guayacán Sinfónico (2024), recorded during their 35th-anniversary performance at Cali's Parque de las Banderas.

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