CLEARWATER -- Grupo Niche, a salsa group considered by some to be Colombia's answer to the Beatles, will perform at a concert at Coachman Park Saturday.

The band, with a front line of saxophone, flute, trombones, bongos, maracas, bass and singers, made its recording debut with Querer es Poder, and is credited with fueling the salsa movement in Colombia.

Posters in the windows of small Hispanic grocery stores throughout Tampa and Pinellas County are advertising the concert.

"When they see posters, they say, "Oh, a piece of my land is here,' " said Juan Morantes, president of a Viente de Julio, a seven-member committee dedicated to bringing Colombian-flavored events to the Tampa Bay area.

Before you balk at the $15 gate admission listed on the poster, be aware that the price will actually be dropped to $12.

Why? Colombia won the Copa America soccer competition, soccer's oldest international championship, for the first time last Sunday. In the spirit of the win, Morantes said he's going to offer everyone who comes to the concert a price break.

"We're a happy people. We've been celebrating," said Morantes.

Viente de Julio, the name of the community group, means 20th of July in Spanish, Colombia's independence day.

The group was formed to bring happiness and a sense of community to the area's Colombian population, its organizers said.

This past spring, Morantes said he and others from the committee approached Clearwater Mayor Brian Aungst and said "We're hungry to celebrate. We want to do a festival" for independence day.

"We don't go to a lot of events because language is a barrier," he said.

When the city offered Coachman Park as a venue, members tried to get Grupo Niche to play on July 20, but the band was booked in another venue.

So they booked them for Aug. 4, which is fine with the association's vice president, Yvonne Steele, because that date is in between independence day and another important date in Colombia's history, Aug. 7, which commemorates the Battle of Boyaca, she said.

"It (the event) means so much," said Steele, who came to the United States from Island San Andres three years ago. "I know that on Saturday there are going to be people who know each other, but don't know they live in the same city. It will be a happy reunion. I'm excited about the day."

The latest Census figures available show 1,787 Colombians have settled in Pinellas County. Pinellas ranks eighth among Florida counties in the number of Colombian residents.

Morantes left Colombia a decade ago at 24 after a bandit put a gun to his head and threatened to pull the trigger while his friends and employees looked on and assured the man they would never turn him in.

Mountain-fighting guerrillas have forced millions of Colombians like Morantes to flee their war-torn country within the past three years, he said.

Many speak little or no English, so buying tickets through TicketMaster can be difficult.

"There are so many new people (who) don't know what TicketMaster is," Morantes said. "TicketMaster is so Anglo, so most of our ticket sales will be at the door."

The band has to be off the stage at 5:45 p.m. to make it to their plane, which will be waiting in Tampa, to whisk them away to Miami.

Then they'll travel to Peru where they will perform at festivals during the national elections there.

"We're a hard-working people," said Morantes. "There's a lot of talent to be discovered."

If you go

Grupo Niche, a popular Colombian salsa group, will perform Saturday at 4 p.m. at Fiesta in the Park Saturday at Coachman Park. Tickets are $12 through TicketMaster, the Clearwater Parks and Recreation department, 100 S Myrtle Ave., and at the gate. Gate opens at 2 p.m. Children 9 and under are free. In addition to the concert, Fiesta in the Park will feature folk dancing, carnival rides and exhibits. No coolers. Food will be available.

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