El Combo Más Grande

November Playlist Highlights

Song (iTunes)

Artist

Category

Origin

Buena O Mala El Gran Combo Salsa Puerto Rico
Mas Feo Que Yo El Gran Combo Salsa Puerto Rico
Acangana El Gran Combo Salsa Puerto Rico
Compadre Pedro Juan El Gran Combo Merengue Puerto Rico
Chua Chua Boogaloo El Gran Combo Boogaloo Puerto Rico
Timbamania Mayimbe Timba Cuba
Mátame Anthony Santos Bachata D. Republic
My Way Henry Santos Bachata D. Republic
Ole y Ole Milly Quezada Merengue D. Republic
So Na Natal Loony Johnson Kizomba Portugal

 

Salsa of Puerto Rico – El Gran Combo

When it comes to the music of Puerto Rico one of the genres that has been the most popular and the most commercially successful is salsa.  And when it comes to Puerto Rican salsa and the artists making this music the most popular and commercially successful is unquestionably El Gran Combo.   So successful has the group been both locally and internationally that any serious discussion on the topic of salsa would be incomplete without mentioning them.

El Gran Combo of Puerto Rico or simply El Gran Combo was created by Rafael Ithier back in 1962.  Before then Ithier had been a member of a group lead by Rafeal Cortijo called Cortijo y su Combo whose leader singer was none other than Ismael Rivera.  Sadly, Cortijo’s group suffered a huge loss when Rivera was incarcerated for drug related offences in the early 60’s.  The group eventually broke up and Ithier took the opportunity to form his own band with some of the members of the original Combo. When he first brought his musicians together it was suggested the band be called Rafael Ithier y su Combo.   Ithier agreed the band’s name should reflect the fact that it had come from Cortijo’s.  However, he wanted the name to communicate that his band was new and improved and that his Combo was grander than any of it’s predecessors and thus El Gran Combo was born.

Their first album was released on November 20, 1963 with the playful title Menéame Los Mangos or “Shake My Mangos”.  But it was their third album, Acángana, released in 1964 that really got them international recognition.  Acángana was a hit from New York to Panama and opened the doors for El Gran Combo in a number of other Latin American markets.  Many other successful albums followed including a gold selling boogaloo album from 1967 called “Boogaloo con el Gran Combo”.

The band has taken their music all over the world from Europe to Japan to Australia and even a visit to Alaska in 1984 as part of the promotion for their first grammy nominated album “Breaking the Ice”.  In total El Gran Combo has produced over 60 albums, is arguably Puerto Rico’s most successful musical group and is considered by some to be the most popular salsa group of all time.  The band is also referred to as “La Universidad de la Salsa” because of the number of famous musicians that have either been members or who have performed with the group:  Andy Montañez, Roberto Roena, Celiz Cruz, La India, Hector Lavoe, Ruben Blades, and others.

It has been over half a century since the inception of El Gran Combo and with that it mind it should come as no surprise that the band’s membership has changed significantly with with the only original member being Rafael Ithier himself.  Though he continues to perform he has taken a back seat for live performances and just conducting the musicians rather than playing the piano. However, he is still very much the leader of the group, a group that shows no signs of slowing down.  They released a new album in 2010 called Sin Salsa No Hay Paraíso or “There is no Paradise without Salsa” and did a world tour last year in celebration of their 50th anniversary.

50 years in the music industry has resulted in a lot of music and a lot of well known classics.  I have included a small sample of some of their lesser known songs in this months playlist.

That’s it for this month.  Questions, comments, requests? Send me an email

Hasta la próxima,

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T’is the Season to Give… Music

December Playlist Highlights

Song

iTunes

Artist

Category

Origin

Un Loco Con Una Moto Pupy y Los Que Son Son Salsa Cuba
El Capitolio El Capitolio - Latino 46 - Salsa Bachata Merengue Reggaeton Azucar Negra Salsa Cuba
La Yuka Charanga Habanera Salsa Cuba
El Alboroto El Alboroto - Bailá Salsa Mauro Castillo Salsa Colombia
Ven A Mí Rumba Diego Gale Salsa Colombia
Salsa Pa’l Congreso Salsa Pa'l Congreso - Maria Chino Espinoza Salsa Costa Rica
Ayer Ayer - Ayer - Single Opalo Bachata Dominican Republic
Abrazame Amor Abrazame amor - Mi Regreso Luis Miguel Del Amargue Bachata Dominican Republic
Amaneció Amaneció - Amaneció H.O.M. Merengue Electronico Dominican Republic
Ayantame Ayantame (feat. El Potro Alvarez) - Ayantame (feat. El Potro Alvarez) - Single Ilegales Merengue Electronico Dominican Republic
Pata Pata Shikisha Cha-Cha-Cha South Africa

 

With Christmas just a few weeks away I thought I would use this blog entry to suggest a few CD’s that would make great presents for yourself or someone you know who is a lover of Latin music.

 

Album: Salsa – Un Homenaje a El Gran Combo

Artist: Various

Recommended dance tracks:

  • Ojos Chinos
  • Un Verano En Nueva York

Where to get it:

  • Digital: iTunes
  • CD: Descarga.com

El Gran Combo hardly needs an introduction being one of the biggest salsa bands of all time.  Their origins date back fifty years during which time they have released dozens of albums.  This album pays tribute to the legendary group and includes many of their most famous songs some performed by El Gran Combo themselves but many others performed by a range of talented artists including La India, Issac Delgado and Willie Colon.  If you are a fan of salsa you have probably heard many of these songs before but it’s always refreshing to hear a familiar song that has been given new life by another artist.

 

Album: ¿De Que Estamos Hablano?

Artist: Elio (Elito) Reve Jr y Su Charanga

Recommended dance tracks:

  • ¿De Que Estamos Hablando?
  • Ya Sé Cantar, Ya Sé Bailar

Where to get it:

  • Digital: CubaMusic.com
  • CD: Descarga.com

Elito Reve’s father was the late Elio Reve who started Orquesta Reve in 1956.  Over the years this band has included a whos’s who list of some of the top names in the Cuban music scene.  Musicians such as Chucho Valdés, Juan Formell (Los Van Van), Cesar Pedroso (Pupy y Los Que Son Son), and Juan Carlos Alfonso (Dan Den) have at one point or another been part of Orquesta Reve.  The band has been ground breaking since its inception and Elito has carried on that creativity after taking over the band in 1997.  This is their latest offering and makes a fantastic edition to any timba (salsa) collection.

 

Album: A Masterpiece Collection

Artist: Grupo Xtasys

Recommended dance tracks:

  • No Puedo Creer
  • Antes

Where to get it:

  • Digital: iTunes
  • CD: Amazon

Hailing from New York City, this group has been together since 2009.  I happened upon this, their first, CD a few months ago and was really impressed by the number of great songs on the album.  Their sound is fresh, urban and very dancable.

 

Questions, comments, requests? Send me an email or leave a comment.

 

Hasta la próxima 

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