El Gran Combo originated as an offshoot of the popular Puerto Rican band El Combo de Rafael Cortijo. Invited to start a new group with Joseito Mateo, a singer from the Dominican Republic, Ithier and six fellow musicians dropped out of Cortijo's band to start their new enterprise. The move shocked the Latin music world. "You were not supposed to leave Puerto Rico's favorite group like that," Ithier told Montreal's Gazette, "but the discipline was not very good anymore…. I did not want to be with a band that was not ready to work."
The new band was not lacking in discipline. Its members—including Rafael Alvarez Guedes (who chose the band's name), Eddie Pérez, Héctor Santos, Roberto Rohena, Rogelio Vélez, Martín Quiñones, and Miguel Cruz —prized teamwork and organization as much as they did musical talent. In 1962 the group recorded its first album, Meneame los Mangos (Shake My Mangos). The album was not a hit and the band was not an overnight sensation, but El Gran Combo were willing to work for their success.
It was three or four years before El Gran Combo reached that success, which arrived not long after the group recruited a promising young singer named Junior Montañhez (later known as Andy Montañez). With Montañez joining singer Pellin Rodriguez on vocals, the band turned out hit after hit—catchy dance tunes with such names as "El Menu," "Telefono," and "Goyito Sabater." The songwriting talent behind these and other hits was Perin Vazquez, whose lyrics told tales of everyday passions and universal longings. Working closely with Vazquez, Ithier created lively arrangements for piano, bass, trumpets, saxophone, congas, timbales, and bongos.
The group had released the album Acangana in 1963, just two days before the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Although distribution of the album was postponed because of the tragedy, the recording eventually reached gold-record status. In 1970 the band created EGC, an independent record label under which they released a number of albums, beginning with that year's recording, El Momo de Oro.
El Gran Combo gradually rose to become the first name in salsa within Puerto Rico, winning the island's prestigious Agueybana de Oro prize for the Best Band of 1969. Slowly, word about the band began to spread beyond the island's borders, and from 1971 to 1986 the band's international popularity was at its peak. During this time, El Gran Combo attracted a series of gifted young salsa performers—including singers Charlie Aponte, Johnny Ventura, Celia Cruz, and Jerry Rivas, and musicians Miguel Marrero, Milton Correa, Edwin Cortes, and Martin Quinones. In fact, so many exceptional salsa performers "graduated" from El Gran Combo that the band became affectionately known as the University of Salsa.
For many fans, El Gran Combo is synonymous with salsa—a musical genre that fuses Cuban and Puerto Rican sounds. Headed by three lead singers, El Gran Combo has always drawn dynamic energy from vocals. True to the salsa style, the group balances a vibrant horn section and a rhythmic percussion beat, tempered by the less-prominent bass and piano. One secret to El Gran Combo's long-lived success has been the group's ability to keep its music evolving and to remain open to new, fresh sounds. In 1971 the band added a trombone to its repertoire, played by Epifanio (Fanny) Ceballo. The recording De Punta a Punta, which won best album at Miami's Gold Record Festival, marked the debut of Ceballo, who remained with the band until his death in 1991.
More changes came for El Gran Combo in the mid-1970s, when Pellin Rodriguez left the band and was eventually replaced by the popular vocalist Charlie Aponte. By 1977 the vocalist Montañez also departed, joining the Venezuelan group La Dimensión Latina. Montañez's departure shocked and saddened fans, but his replacement, Jerry Rivas, soon won over audiences.
In 1984 El Gran Combo toured Alaska, where they produced Breaking the Ice—El Gran Combo en Alaska, which received a Grammy Award nomination. The band toured internationally throughout the 1980s and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1987 with a historic concert at New York City's Madison Square Garden.
Although many music critics thought El Gran Combo was past its peak by the 1990s, the band held on to its core group of devoted fans. "When they had singer Andy Montañez, they used to be the music machine of the Caribbean," Rudolph Mangual, publisher of the Los Angeles dance-music magazine Latin Beat, told the Los Angeles Times in 1996. "Obviously, they're way past their prime, but they're so good that they still matter…. [T]heir collective presence has a unique magnetism."
Although the band is an ensemble, one key figure stands out in El Gran Combo: Ithier, who has either outlasted or outlived the band's other cofounders. Many fans regard him as the group's heart and soul, yet Ithier has always emphasized the band's lack of hierarchy. "[El Gran Combo] has persevered because of its system," Ithier told Billboard magazine. "We share everything: our successes, our failures, our earnings. Everything is evenly distributed. And this is an incentive for the band. Everything we make, we divide."
No Hay Cama Pa' Tanta Gente
El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A la casa de David
Para un tremendo festin
Que Digo habia preparado
Allí llegó Perez Prado, (oiga)
Los Guaracheros de Oriente
La fiesta estaba caliente
Johnny el Menta así dormía
No hay cama pa' tanta gente
Vi el Gran Combo que llegaba
Y a Ramito el de la altura
Más atrás Johnny Ventura
Con Yayo el Indio charlaba
Roberto Torres estaba
Con Javier Vazquez y su gente
Y Ralph Mercado de repente
Intentó apagar la luz
Pero gritó Celia Cruz
No hay cama pa' tanta gente
Afuera, pa' la calle
Pa' afuera, pa' la calle
Pa' afuera, pa' la calle
Pa' afuera, pa' la calle
Willy Rosario y su orquesta
La salsa quería empezar
Y Héctor Lavoe al llegar, tarde
Encontró que la selecta
Ya se encontraba dispuesta
Para alegrar el ambiente
Y en una esquina Tito Puente
Empezaba a pestañear
Y volvió Celia a gritar
Azuca', no hay cama pa' tanta gente
Audilio junto al gallito
Lo vi en la mesa sentao'
Y Daniel Santo' gillao'
De ron se daba un traguito
David estaba jalaito
Y así dijo prontamente
Oye Machucha dámele a esta gente
De caufenero una taza
Y todo el mundo pa' su casa
No hay cama pa' tanta gente
Afuera, pa' la calle (mira, ahí se va)
Pa' afuera, pa' la calle (va al mar, o se queda ahí)
Pa' afuera, pa' la calle (Papo Sánchez)
Pa' afuera, pa' la calle
Tírenlo' pa' abajo
Que son un peligro arriba
Se llenan las manos de lechón
Después se limpian con la cortina, y por eso
Tírenlo' pa' abajo
Que son un peligro arriba
Allá, allá se meten al baño
Y te lo dejan como piscina, ¿tú ves?
Tírenlo' pa' abajo
Que son un peligro arriba
Se jaltan y beben y se enferman
Después te dicen: "señora, ¿tiene aspirina?"
Tírenlo' pa' abajo
Que son un peligro arriba
Que esa trulla (¡eh!)
Es peligrosa (¡eh!)
¡Afuera, pa' la calle!
Tírenlo' pa' abajo
Que son un peligro arriba
Oye, la verdad que con esa gente no hay quien pueda
Oye, son una amenaza
The song "No Hay Cama Pa' Tanta Gente" translates to "there's no bed for so many people". The lyrics tell the story of a large and chaotic party that takes place during Christmas at David's house. The singer of the song is a guest at the party and he describes all the famous musicians and performers that are present, such as Perez Prado, Johnny Ventura, and Celia Cruz. The party is so crowded that people can't find a place to sleep, hence the title. The party is also shown to be quite wild and unruly, with people drinking, eating too much, and making a mess.
The song is a classic salsa tune that was originally released in 1978 by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. It has become an anthem of sorts in the Latino community and is often played at parties and celebrations. The song's lyrics convey a sense of joyous chaos and a celebration of the Latinx culture.
Line by Line Meaning
En Navidad fui invitado
I was invited to David's house during Christmas
A la casa de David
To David's house
Para un tremendo festin
For a huge feast
Que Digo habia preparado
That, as they say, he had prepared
Allí llegó Perez Prado, (oiga)
Perez Prado arrived there (listen)
Los Guaracheros de Oriente
The Guaracheros de Oriente
La fiesta estaba caliente
The party was hot
Johnny el Menta así dormía
Johnny el Menta was sleeping like this
Y Edimiro le decía
And Edimiro was saying to him
No hay cama pa' tanta gente
There's no bed for so many people
Vi el Gran Combo que llegaba
I saw El Gran Combo arriving
Y a Ramito el de la altura
And Ramito the tall one
Más atrás Johnny Ventura
Johnny Ventura was further back
Con Yayo el Indio charlaba
He was talking with Yayo el Indio
Roberto Torres estaba
Roberto Torres was there
Con Javier Vazquez y su gente
With Javier Vazquez and his people
Y Ralph Mercado de repente
And suddenly Ralph Mercado
Intentó apagar la luz
Tried to turn off the light
Pero gritó Celia Cruz
But Celia Cruz shouted
No hay cama pa' tanta gente
There's no bed for so many people
Afuera, pa' la calle
Outside, onto the street
Pa' afuera, pa' la calle
Outside, onto the street
Pa' afuera, pa' la calle
Outside, onto the street
Pa' afuera, pa' la calle
Outside, onto the street
Willy Rosario y su orquesta
Willy Rosario and his orchestra
La salsa quería empezar
They wanted to start the salsa
Y Héctor Lavoe al llegar, tarde
And Héctor Lavoe arrived late
Encontró que la selecta
Found that the selecta
Ya se encontraba dispuesta
Was already set up
Para alegrar el ambiente
To liven up the atmosphere
Y en una esquina Tito Puente
And in one corner, Tito Puente
Empezaba a pestañear
Was starting to nod off
Y volvió Celia a gritar
And Celia shouted again
Azuca', no hay cama pa' tanta gente
Azuca', there's no bed for so many people
Audilio junto al gallito
Audilio with el gallito
Lo vi en la mesa sentao'
I saw him sitting at the table
Y Daniel Santo' gillao'
And Daniel Santo' the wise guy
De ron se daba un traguito
Had a drink of rum
David estaba jalaito
David was high/drunk
Y así dijo prontamente
And he said quickly
Oye Machucha dámele a esta gente
Hey Machucha, give these people
De caufenero una taza
A cup of coffee
Y todo el mundo pa' su casa
And everyone back to their homes
No hay cama pa' tanta gente
There's no bed for so many people
Tírenlo' pa' abajo
Throw them down
Que son un peligro arriba
They're a danger up there
Se llenan las manos de lechón
They fill their hands with pork
Después se limpian con la cortina, y por eso
Then they clean themselves with the curtain, and that's why
Allá, allá se meten al baño
Over there, they go to the bathroom
Y te lo dejan como piscina, ¿tú ves?
And leave it like a pool, you see?
Se jaltan y beben y se enferman
They eat, drink, and get sick
Después te dicen: "señora, ¿tiene aspirina?"
Then they say: "ma'am, do you have aspirin?"
Que esa trulla (¡eh!)
That gang (hey!)
Es peligrosa (¡eh!)
Is dangerous (hey!)
¡Afuera, pa' la calle!
Outside, onto the street!
Tírenlo' pa' abajo
Throw them down
Que son un peligro arriba
They're a danger up there
Oye, la verdad que con esa gente no hay quien pueda
Hey, the truth is that with these people, nothing can be done
Oye, son una amenaza
Hey, they're a threat
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Antonio Fernandez Ortiz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-bk9rb5oo6e
Saludos desde Nicaragua quien escucha esta joya de música en este 2024 algo que nunca pasará de moda
@wadyshood3975
Quien en noviembre del 2023, escuchando está joya
@dairojulio1669
Aquí estrenando mi JBL party 110 a todo timbal.
@edwinmata1341
Yo la estoy escuchando en Costa Rica, que recuerdos
@soniamartinez4268
Aquí una ecuatoriana en New York
@dannytian9040
Aquí presente un amante de la salsa 💃🏻🕺🏻
@AbelSantana-oe2qi
Aquí 2 de diciembre camino al aeropuerto para irme a mi bella tierra RD🤍🇩🇴
@ricardolaramarquez
Que genio el compositor al juntar en una fiesta imaginaria ,a grandes artistas. La picardía y las infaltables anécdotas propias de una fiesta latina:
Te dejan el baño como piscina, se limpian las manos con la cortina, se enferman,vomitan, se duermen...y la voz del intérprete es sencillamente EXTRAORDINARIA.
@user-ys2fw9xb2u
2024... Y seguirá siendo un deleite a los oidos escuchar a la universidad de la salsa.
@luceroguerrero3957
Grande el gran combo de Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 la universidad de la salsa, lo mejor que nos dejaron los 80 👏👏💪🙏🤗😽🌷 abrazo ancestral Bogotá (Colombia) 😊🇨🇴🐾🌈🌻♥️