El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, commonly known as El Gran Combo, is a Puerto Rican salsa orchestra based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012, it is Puerto Rico's most successful musical group, and is considered "the most popular Salsa group that has ever existed". The group received the moniker La Universidad de la Salsa (The University of Salsa) in Colombia, due to the sheer number of famous salsa musicians and singers who developed their careers with it, who started with the group (particularly Andy Montanez), or who were occasionally backed up by the band (including Celia Cruz, Hector Lavoe and La India). The salsa orchestra was founded in May 1962, by Rafael Ithier.
Rafael Ithier had been a member of Rafael Cortijo's "Cortijo y su Combo" orchestra. After singer Ismael Rivera faced legal problems when arriving from Panama, some of the group's musicians departed, with Ithier relocating temporarily to the eastern United States. Rafael Alvarez Guedes, the Cuban-born owner of the Gema recording label (and brother of comedic actor Guillermo), needed a backing band to record an album for legendary Dominican merengue singer Joseito Mateo. He asked Ithier for assistance, and Ithier responded by bringing in many of his former colleagues to the studio. For their first recording sessions, the orchestra included some musicians from Cortijo's original lineup, including saxophonist Hector Santos, trumpet player Rogelio "Kito" Velez, and percussionists Martin Quinones, Miguel Cruz and Roberto Roena. Alvarez Guedes wanted to name the group Rafael Ithier Y Su Combo In relations to Cortijo, but Ithier refused the name and the name El Gran Combo was born, as to refer to the musicians' former affiliation, but addressing their regrouping as a "new and improved" version of Cortijo's orchestra. The album they recorded was titled Meneame Los Mangos, El Gran Combo con Joseito Mateo (the phrase translates as Shake Your Mangoes for Me, a double entendre). The group met again to define the foundations of a proper orchestra and chose singers Daniel Vazquez, Pellin Rodriguez and Chiquitin Garcia (who later composed among other major EGC hits, "No Hago Mas Na",'and many of Gran combos Hits. On May 21, 1962, El Gran Combo was heard for the first time on Puerto Rican radio. Later on, they became the in-studio musicians of the live television show, "La Taberna India", sponsored by India Beer. After their live debut at Hotel La Concha in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Chiquitin Garcia left the orchestra. Vocalist Sammy Ayala, who had also played with Ithier in the Cortijo orchestra, recommended the hiring of Andy Montanez. Andy Montnez was singer for a TRIO IN Puerto Rico and had never sung salsa.

Q: What was the inception?
A: After singer Ismael Rivera faced legal problems when arriving from Panama, some of the group's musicians departed,

Q: How did the album do?
A: unknown
Was it well received?
Later on, they became the in-studio musicians of the live television show, "La Taberna India", sponsored by India Beer. Later on, they became the in-studio musicians of the live television show, "La Taberna India", sponsored by India Beer. Later on, they became the in-studio musicians of the live television show, "La Taberna India", sponsored by India Beer.
Later on, they became the in-studio musicians of the live television show, "La Taberna India", sponsored by India Beer.