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."
Te Veo Nena
El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me voy, me voy y te digo adiós
Mejor me voy porque ya no aguanto
El quererte tanto y yo sin amor.
Me voy, me voy muy lejos de ti.
Mejor me voy para no sufrir
Porque aunque tu dices que me quieres,
A ese amor que tu me das
Le falta cariño. Te quiero amor mío.
Rara forma de querer. No hay temas
Esto se acabó!
Yo me voy tranquilo, sigue tu camino
Y ve por tu lado, y yo voy por el mío.
Te deseo suerte, pero no conmigo
Pues ya yo me fui BYE!
Te veo nena.
Ya yo me voy, me voy contento.
Allá tu con tu aburrimiento.
Yo prefiero antes de perder
Una retirada a tiempo
ESTRIBILLO
Me esta matando la incertidumbre
Se ha convertido en costumbre
Tener problemas.
Yo me voy tranquilo, sigue tu camino, te veo nena.
Dice que me quiere pero no se nota
Yo no soy tan tonto, sé como la comba.
Ya rompí el candado me voy a marchar
Te veo nena, llegó mi libertad.
Y que te vaya bien, pero no conmigo.
Ya yo me fui. En la esquina me esperan.
The lyrics of El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico's song Te Veo Nena tell the story of a person who has decided to leave a relationship because they no longer feel loved. The singer is tired of loving someone who doesn't reciprocate their feelings and has decided to move on for their own sake. They are breaking up with their partner in a kind and respectful manner, admitting that they love them but cannot continue in the relationship because they are unhappy. The singer is also wishing their partner well in life, but it's clear to them that it's time to move on.
Overall, the song is about the pain of unrequited love and the importance of self-respect in a relationship. The singer realizes that they cannot force love or stay in a situation that is causing them hurt. They have made the difficult decision to leave in search of a better future, but they don't wish ill on their partner.
Line by Line Meaning
Me voy, me voy para no volver
I am leaving and I am never coming back.
Me voy, me voy y te digo adiós
I am leaving and saying goodbye to you.
Mejor me voy porque ya no aguanto
I am leaving because I can't bear it anymore.
El quererte tanto y yo sin amor.
I love you so much, but I don't have your love in return.
Me voy, me voy muy lejos de ti.
I am leaving and going far away from you.
Mejor me voy para no sufrir
I am leaving to avoid suffering.
Porque aunque tu dices que me quieres,
Although you say you love me,
Así no se puede y no me siento feliz.
It's not possible like this and I'm not happy.
A ese amor que tu me das
The love you give me
Le falta cariño. Te quiero amor mío.
It lacks affection. I love you, my love.
Rara forma de querer. No hay temas
Strange way of loving. There's no point
Esto se acabó!
This is over!
Yo me voy tranquilo, sigue tu camino
I am leaving peacefully, you keep going your way
Y ve por tu lado, y yo voy por el mío.
You go your way, and I'll go mine.
Te deseo suerte, pero no conmigo
I wish you luck, but not with me.
Pues ya yo me fui BYE!
I already left, BYE!
Te veo nena.
I'll see you later, girl.
Ya yo me voy, me voy contento.
I'm leaving willingly.
Allá tu con tu aburrimiento.
It's your choice to be bored.
Yo prefiero antes de perder
I rather retreat
Una retirada a tiempo
than lose everything.
ESTRIBILLO
REFRAIN
Me esta matando la incertidumbre
Uncertainty is killing me
Se ha convertido en costumbre
It has become a habit
Tener problemas.
To have problems.
Dice que me quiere pero no se nota
She says she loves me, but I don't see it.
Yo no soy tan tonto, sé como la comba.
I'm not that foolish, I'm street smart.
Ya rompí el candado me voy a marchar
I broke free from the lock, and I'm leaving.
Te veo nena, llegó mi libertad.
I'll see you later, girl, my freedom has arrived.
Y que te vaya bien, pero no conmigo.
I wish you well, but not with me.
Ya yo me fui. En la esquina me esperan.
I already left. They are waiting for me at the corner.
Contributed by Xavier O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Angelys Lectora Empedernida
Me voy, me voy para no volver
Me voy, me voy y te digo adiós
Mejor me voy porque ya no aguanto
El quererte tanto y yo sin amor.
Me voy, me voy muy lejos de ti.
Mejor me voy para no sufrir
Porque aunque tu dices que me quieres,
Así no se puede y no me siento feliz.
A ese amor que tu me das
Le falta cariño. Te quiero amor mío.
Rara forma de querer. No hay temas
Esto se acabó!
Yo me voy tranquilo, sigue tu camino
Y ve por tu lado, y yo voy por el mío.
Te deseo suerte, pero no conmigo
Pues ya yo me fui BYE!
Te veo nena.
Ya yo me voy, me voy contento.
Allá tu con tu aburrimiento.
Yo prefiero antes de perder
Una retirada a tiempo
ESTRIBILLO
Me esta matando la incertidumbre
Se ha convertido en costumbre
Tener problemas.
Yo me voy tranquilo, sigue tu camino, te veo nena.
Dice que me quiere pero no se nota
Yo no soy tan tonto, sé como la comba.
Ya rompí el candado me voy a marchar
Te veo nena, llegó mi libertad.
Y que te vaya bien, pero no conmigo.
Ya yo me fui. En la esquina me esperan.
lopz33
¡Tremendo tema a cargo de Los Mulatos del Sabor cantando Charlie Aponte!
Un día como hoy, 4 de marzo de 1974, nació en Camagüey, Cuba, el cantautor, bajista, guitarrista y director-fundador de la agrupación San Juan-Habana Juan José Hernández-Doejo. Felicitaciones.🎵🎤✍🎸🎶🎉🎂🎊😀😀😀😀
oliverrando
Soy dominicano pero El gran combo tienen buena Musica
Angelys Lectora Empedernida
Me voy, me voy para no volver
Me voy, me voy y te digo adiós
Mejor me voy porque ya no aguanto
El quererte tanto y yo sin amor.
Me voy, me voy muy lejos de ti.
Mejor me voy para no sufrir
Porque aunque tu dices que me quieres,
Así no se puede y no me siento feliz.
A ese amor que tu me das
Le falta cariño. Te quiero amor mío.
Rara forma de querer. No hay temas
Esto se acabó!
Yo me voy tranquilo, sigue tu camino
Y ve por tu lado, y yo voy por el mío.
Te deseo suerte, pero no conmigo
Pues ya yo me fui BYE!
Te veo nena.
Ya yo me voy, me voy contento.
Allá tu con tu aburrimiento.
Yo prefiero antes de perder
Una retirada a tiempo
ESTRIBILLO
Me esta matando la incertidumbre
Se ha convertido en costumbre
Tener problemas.
Yo me voy tranquilo, sigue tu camino, te veo nena.
Dice que me quiere pero no se nota
Yo no soy tan tonto, sé como la comba.
Ya rompí el candado me voy a marchar
Te veo nena, llegó mi libertad.
Y que te vaya bien, pero no conmigo.
Ya yo me fui. En la esquina me esperan.
Adams Sanchez
Exelente tema 👍
Cesar Augusto Millan Artunduaga
La mejor agrupación de Salsa, aunque ya no nos acompaña Charlie Aponte, siempre será un gran integrante....
Socorro Galeano
La univesida de la salsa
Adams Sanchez
Mi respeto al gran combo de PR.
alba ocampo
Uffffff 👍💯
Erianaeb
Yo me voy tranquila, sigue tu camino!!
Jhon Edward Castro Yori
Quien la escucha en 2019