El Gran Combo

[Kathrine Selvage]

ElGran Combo de Puerto Rico, commonly known as El Gran Combo, is a Puerto Rican salsa orchestra based in San Juan, Puerto Rico.[2] Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012, it was often considered Puerto Rico's most successful musical group.[3] The group received the moniker La Universidad de la Salsa (The University of Salsa) in Colombia,[4] due to the sheer number of famous salsa musicians and singers who developed their careers with it, who started with the group (particularly Andy Montaez), or who were occasionally backed up by the band and La India.

The salsa orchestra was founded in May 1962,[5] by Rafael Ithier.[6] Ithier was still nominally its musical director, and is the only remaining member from the band's original lineup. From 2010 until his death in 2022,[7] 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. They are still actively performing after 50 years together.[8] The group was scheduled to celebrate its 50th anniversary on 11 November 2012 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico.[9] The group started its celebration with a grand world tour that took them to five continents.[10]

On November 24, 2022, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, on its 60th anniversary, was featured on Norberto Vlez's YouTube channel titled "Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 32". El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico is the first Orchestra featured at the hill.

The group met again to define the foundations of a proper orchestra and chose singers Daniel Vzquez, Pelln Rodrguez and Chiquitn Garca (who later composed among other major EGC hits, "No Hago Ms N", and many of Gran Combo's hits). On May 21, 1962, El Gran Combo was heard for the first time on Puerto Rican radio. Later on, they became the in-studio musicians of the live television show, "La Taberna India", sponsored by India Beer.

After their live debut at Hotel La Concha in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Chiquitn Garca left the orchestra. Vocalist Sammy Ayala, who had also played with Ithier in the Cortijo orchestra, recommended the hiring of Andy Montaez. Andy Montaez was singer for a trio in Puerto Rico and had never sung salsa?

On November 20, 1963, El Gran Combo released their first group album, Mename los mangos, with Joseito Mateo as lead singer. Later came Acngana. This album became a number-one hit in New York City, Panama and Puerto Rico. Their success opened doors for them in many Latin American markets and they gained an exclusivity spot on the Puerto Rican television show El Show de las 12. The album also reached gold status.

In 1964, trumpet player and arranger Elas Lopes joined the orchestra, coinciding with the group's first popularity wave. With their daily TV appearances and extensive touring, however, demand for the group declined due to overexposure. Still, in 1967, their album Boogaloo con el Gran Combo also reached gold status. In 1969, Roena and Lopes left the orchestra to form the Apollo Sound together. Despite all this, that same year the group was awarded an Ageybana de Oro in Puerto Rico. Also, in 1969, Rafael Ithier hired dancer/choreographer Mike Ramos to implement dance routines, which became a signature of El Gran Combo's live performances. Mike came from the world-famous New York City Palladium Ballroom scene. Prior to joining El Gran Combo, Mike danced with the Tito Puente Orchestra and Perez Prado Band among others.

In 1970, El Gran Combo's contract with Gema Records was not renewed. Despite offers from other record companies including the Motown label, the group decided to self-release recordings under their own newly created independent label, Combo Records (alternatively known as EGC Records). The first album released on the label was the 1970 album entitled Estamos Primeros. On February 15, 1970, the members of El Gran Combo shared a near death experience. They were at Venezuela, and scheduled to fly the following day to Las Amricas International Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. After landing they were told about the Dominicana Airlines DC-9 that crashed off the Caribbean coast which occurred the night before. Therefore, the tale about a group member having a bad feeling regarding that flight while stranded at the Santo Domingo airport is not entirely true, since they did not arrive there until the day after the crash.[14]

In 1971, El Gran Combo introduced the trombone to their instrument mix. The trombone was played by Fanny Ceballos. Soon after, their production named De Punta a Punta was released. In 1972, they released the album "Por el Libro", which marks the 10th anniversary of the orchestra. Pelln Rodriguez left the group to embark on a solo career. Rodrguez was replaced by Charlie Aponte at the recommendation of Jerry Concepcin and the well known sportscaster Rafael Bracero, both friends of Ithier.

Montaez left the band in early 1977 and went to live in Venezuela where he replaced Oscar D'Len in another orchestra, Dimension Latina. Jerry Rivas was then chosen to join the orchestra. The success of this new duo was proved with their 1977 album International and 1978's En Las Vegas which reached gold record status.

The band continues to receive numerous awards throughout Latin America. In 1984, they traveled to Alaska where they received a great welcome. Soon after Combo Records released their album titled In Alaska: Breaking the Ice. Produced by Ralph Cartagena, the album garnered them their first Grammy nomination.

In the early 1990s, they were honored in the city of Madrid, Spain to open the decade on the right track. On March 29, 1992, they celebrated a huge concert in the Hiram Bithorn Stadium in front of 30,000 people.

In 2000, El Gran Combo was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.[15] In 2002, the group celebrated their 40th anniversary with two sold-out concerts at the Ruben Rodrguez Coliseum in Bayamn, Puerto Rico. This celebration spawned an album. In the same year, they were awarded the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award.[16] Among other musicians, they are one of the "enduring superstars of the island."[17]

As of 2006[update], the orchestra has released over 40 albums or CD's, and it has received many awards, including golden albums, a "Calendario de Plata" in Mexico, a "Golden Congo" in Colombia, a Paoli Award in their native Puerto Rico, an honorable distinction in Spain and countless others.

Around 2006, Rafael Ithier became ill and decided to take a back seat for live performances and although he mostly still tours with the band, Ithier is just conducting the combo rather than playing the piano, however he is still very much the bandleader of the group. Willie Sotelo took the place of Ithier on the piano and also took over some of the travel management duties.

In August 2011, El Gran Combo rewrote the lyrics to their own hit "No Hago Ms N", or "I Don't Do Anything Else" that sang in satire about the day of a lazy person to a more positive "Echar Pa'lante" or "Moving Forward" which sang about the virtues of going to work. They also released a video with a positive introductory message which showed clips of working people in similarities with them playing instruments.

The group is still going strong and working continuously. Some music historians have dubbed them La Universidad de la Salsa (The University of Salsa), which is also the title of their hit 1983 album.

Recent changes have occurred within the last several years. On August 9, 2013, Founder musician Eddie "La Bala" Perez died due to health complications. On December 12, 2014, Charlie Aponte, one of the vocalists of El Gran Combo for 41 years, retired for personal reasons and launched his own orchestra. His last performance was in Cali, Colombia on December 30, 2014. On January 24, 2015 Anthony Garcia became the new vocalist, as Aponte's replacement. Later in the year, El Gran Combo received the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.[18][19] Two years later, they were presented with the ASCAP Latin Heritage Award.[20] In early 2019, Luis "Papo" Rosario, the main choreographer and third vocalist since 1980, retired. Joselito Hernndez was added as Rosario's replacement.

El grupo naci como resultado de la ruptura de Rafael Cortijo y su Combo en 1962, agrupacin de la que formaba parte Rafael Ithier. Algunos miembros del ya desintegrado grupo se reunieron para la grabacin de una placa discogrfica junto con el cantante dominicano Joseto Mateo en uno de los lbumes de su compaa disquera Gema Records, resultando en el lanzamiento de Mename los mangos. El grupo fue llamado El Gran Combo por el empresario Guillermo lvarez Guedes. Los miembros iniciales eran Joseto Mateo, Rafael Ithier, Eddie Prez, Hctor Santos, Rogelio "Kito" Vlez, Vctor Prez, Martn Quiones, Miguel Cruz, Milton Correa y Roberto Roena.

El grupo se encontr nuevamente para definir los fundamentos de la orquesta y escogieron a los cantantes: Daniel Vzquez, Pelln Rodrguez y Chiqui Garca. El 26 de mayo de 1962, El Gran Combo se escuch por primera vez en la radio puertorriquea. Ms tarde, se convirtieron en los msicos del estudio para el programa de televisin "La Taberna India", producido por Cerveza India.

Luego de su debut en vivo en el Hotel La Concha en San Juan, Puerto Rico, Chiqui Garca abandon la orquesta. Sammy Ayala, quien haba tocado con Ithier en la orquesta de Cortijo, recomend el reclutamiento de Junior Montaez. Al poco tiempo y a sugerencia de Felipe "La Voz" Rodrguez, cambi su nombre por Andy. Felipe Rodrguez deca que Junior Montaez sonaba como nombre de jockey.

El 20 de noviembre de 1963, El Gran Combo lanz su segundo lbum como grupo, ...De Siempre, para Gema Records, con Rodrguez y Montaez como las voces lderes. El lanzamiento fue dos das antes del asesinato del presidente de los Estados Unidos, John F. Kennedy, por lo que la distribucin del lbum en Puerto Rico fue pospuesta. Fue entonces cuando se comenz a distribuir inicialmente en Mxico, Panam y Venezuela en donde el disco fue muy bien recibido y muy bien difundido radialmente. Fue distribuido, posteriormente, en Nueva York y despus en Puerto Rico, en donde se convirti en una exitosa produccin reconocida por un disco de oro.

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