Rafael Ithier, founder and longtime musical director of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, has died at 99. The pianist, composer and arranger spent more than six decades shaping El Gran Combo into one of salsa’s most influential orchestras across Latin America and the world.
On Sunday the orchestra posted a statement on its social media, saying: “Today we bid farewell to not only a great musician, but the architect of a sound that marked generations. A leader whose discipline, vision and love for salsa forged the history of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico and of Latin music in the world.”
Born in San Juan in 1926, Ithier picked up the guitar at age 10. He left school at 14 to help support his family but continued learning instruments, adding the Cuban tres, double bass and eventually the piano, which became his primary instrument.
Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952 and stationed in Korea, Ithier later described how difficult the experience felt at first. In a 2016 interview he recalled crying when sworn in because he did not want to be a soldier. He said the Army taught him discipline and obedience, traits he credited with shaping his life and career.
After military service, Ithier stayed connected to music. He played with a New York group called the Borinqueneers Mambo Kings and later returned to Puerto Rico, joining Cortijo y Su Combo. When Cortijo’s ensemble faltered after lead singer Ismael Rivera’s 1962 arrest, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico emerged with Ithier at the helm.
As salsa flourished—blending mambo, Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz during the genre’s golden era—El Gran Combo became a definitive Puerto Rican voice in the movement. The 1975 song “Un Verano en Nueva York” celebrated the Nuyorican experience, and the 1979 track “Brujería” showcased the band’s powerful brass and percussive drive, with vocalist Charlie Aponte delivering playful, pointed lyrics.
Over the years El Gran Combo served as a proving ground for many salsa musicians, earning the nickname “la universidad de la salsa” (the university of salsa), also the title of a 1983 album. Despite lineup changes, Ithier remained the group’s steady leader, recording dozens of albums and touring worldwide. In 2015 El Gran Combo received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Latin Grammys.
Following news of Ithier’s death, musicians, collaborators and public figures posted condolences. The Latin Recording Academy wrote, “Ithier leaves behind an eternal legacy in salsa. Thank you, maestro, for a life dedicated to music.”
