El Gran Combo

More than six decades of Puerto Rican salsa come together in a concert built around dance-floor standards and the polished ensemble sound that earned El Gran Combo the nickname La Universidad de la Salsa. The orchestra performs Friday, November 27 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables. The program draws from an extensive catalog that has carried the group across generations of listeners in Puerto Rico, Latin America and beyond.

Founded in 1962 by pianist Rafael Ithier, El Gran Combo became one of Puerto Rico’s most enduring musical institutions. Its catalog includes salsa standards such as “Un verano en Nueva York,” “Brujería,” “Me liberé,” “El menú” and “La fiesta de Pilito.” The orchestra has received two Latin Grammy Awards, seven Grammy nominations and the Latin Recording Academy’s 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award.