Founded in 1962 by Ithier, who was for many years the pianist and musical director of the orchestra, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico was born out of the breakup of Rafael Cortijo y su Combo, with some ...

Rafael Ithier, the dynamic and congenial Puerto Rican pianist and bandleader who founded renown salsa band El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico and was its leader for decades, died Sunday (Dec. 7) in Puerto ...

El Gran Combo, Puerto Rico’s most successful musical group, has shared the flavor and culture of Puerto Rico with the world since the '60s. With more than 70 albums, this salsa orchestra has an ...

FILE - Rafael Ithier of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Lifetime Achievement and Trustees Awards presentation at the Ka Theater in the MGM Grand Hotel on ...

Rafael Ithier, leader of the salsa band El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, has died, The Associated Press reports. He was 99. The news was confirmed by an attorney for the Ithier family, Víctor Rivera, to ...

April 27, 2008 The band members spoke to us about their new cd, embracing a new generation of fans, and their love for the Philadelphia Hispanic community. Enjoy their biography posted in both English ...

The founder of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Rafael Ithier, has died, but the legacy of the salsa orchestra as one of the most recognized in Latin America will live on through dozens of hits - from ...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Rafael Ithier, a beloved musician and a founder of the legendary salsa band El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, whose hits have inspired Bad Bunny and other icons from the U.S.

The band -- founded by the late Rafael Ithier -- has placed more than 40 songs on the Tropical Airplay chart, including 15 top 10s. By Sigal Ratner-Arias Deputy Editor, Billboard Español The founder ...