El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico

Common card · No. 358996

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, commonly known as El Gran Combo, is a Puerto Rican salsa orchestra based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012, it has often been considered to be Puerto Rico's most successful musical group. The group received the moniker La Universidad de la Salsa (The University of Salsa) in Colombia, due to the sheer number of famous salsa musicians and singers who developed their careers with it, who started with the group (particularly Andy Montañez), or who were occasionally backed up by the band and La India. The salsa orchestra was founded in May 1962, by Rafael Ithier. Ithier was still nominally its musical director, and was the only remaining member from the band's original lineup until his death in 2025. From 2010 until his death in 2022, Willie Sotelo, who joined the group in 2006 as pianist, had become the band's de facto musical director on tours, with Ithier conducting the group and playing occasionally in select live performances...

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