Rafael Ithier

The leader, pianist and music diector of El Gran Combo, Rafael Ithier has been one of the leaders of the Latin Tropical music scene for more than four decades. Forsaking the modern influences of Latin music, Ithier has remained committed to his traditional roots. According to Charlie Aponte, one of the band's vocalists, "People say that Gran Combo is about the rhythm, and as long as that hasn't changed, then, the same sound and style are there." Ithier first attracted attention as a member of El Combo De Rafael Cortijo in the late-1950s. Leaving the group, in May 1962, Ithier ...