Largely defiant in the face of musical fads that come and go, the band has stayed faithful to its Puerto Rican roots and a distinctive sound featuring loud and proud horns, lock-tight grooves and playful vocals with a delicious swing. The group is also known as the University of Salsa for its many ‘graduates’ who have gone on to become genre legends like their musical alma mater.
Pianist and founder Rafael Ithier has insisted on El Gran Combo' s swift return to Japan. Fit again after the health issues that prevented him from participating in the band' s previous visit, the inspiring 88-year-old sees this tour as an opportunity to make up for his absence two years ago on a tour cut short by a dramatic typhoon. Ithier guarantees that audiences across Japan who come to see El Gran Combo will never ever forget the definitive sound of Puerto Rico.
El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, commonly known as El Gran Combo, is a Puerto Rican Salsa music orchestra. (Formed in 1962.) It is the king of the classic Salsa rhythm and a source of pride for all Puerto Ricans. Formed when Rafael Cortijo and Ismael Rivera disbanded, their mission has always been to make people dance. Although the band's personnel has changed over the years, the sound remains the same: a heavy rhythm section consisting of congas, timbales, bass, the bandleader on piano, a trio of vocalists offering rich chorus support, and a big brass section of trumpets, saxophones and trombone. Lyrics generally pertain to everyday life -- the streets, food, love interest -- and often possess a comical bent. Among their many famous songs are "Brujeria (Witchcraft)," "El Menu," and "Un Verano en Nueva York (A Summer In New York). "El Gran Combo have a reputation as a powerful live band, and their extraordinary choreography inspires spontaneous dance fever.
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