El Gran Combo

El Gran Combo solidified its status in the salsa world early in their career when their 1963 hit, ‘Acángana,’ achieved number one status in New York City, Panama, and Puerto Rico. Formed in May 1962 by Rafael Ithier, the renowned Puerto Rican salsa orchestra initially backed Dominican merengue singer Joseíto Mateo for a Gema recording label album. Following this, the group released their debut album, Menéame Los Mangos, El Gran Combo con Joseito Mateo, which garnered immediate success. Early exposure included an exclusive in-studio musician spot on the Puerto Rican television show ‘El Show de las 12.’ Their 1967 album, Boogaloo con el Gran Combo, achieved gold status, and they were honored with the prestigious Agüeybana de Oro award in Puerto Rico in 1969.

They were presented with the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015, followed by the ASCAP Latin Heritage Award in 2017. Despite evolving personnel, including the retirements of long-time members like Eddie ‘La Bala’ Perez (2013), Charlie Aponte (2014), and Luis ‘Papo’ Rosario (2019), the orchestra continues to perform and tour extensively worldwide, influencing generations of musicians and fans. In 2022, as part of their 60th anniversary celebration, El Gran Combo was featured on Norberto Vélez’s YouTube channel for ‘Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 32,’ further cementing their status as ‘The University of Salsa.’