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."
Gracias
El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
treinta veces gracias mundo
por nuestra razon de ser
gracias latino por darnos la mano
por tu apoyo puerto rico gracias te damos
Nacimos del cantar de un pueblo del pueblo generoso
de un don que nos dio el todopoderoso
por alla un dia de mayo del 62
y entre luchas sudor que llegan a la mente
que nos a respaldado nuestra gente
hemos visto crecer a nuestros hijos
hemos visto partir seres queridos
en distintos lugares del planeta
nos han brindado el corazon
por eso reciban nuestro cariño
a traves de esta cancion
Treinta besos trienta abrazos les queremos ofrecer
treinta veces gracias mundo
por nuestra razon de ser
gracias latino por darnos la mano
por tu apoyo puerto rico gracias te damos
Gracias
nacimos en puerto rico
Gracias
y hemos sido adoptados
Gracias
por muchisimos paises
Simplemente Gracias
por eso gracias les damos
Gracias
mexico españa venezuela
Gracias
colombia ecuador y peru
Gracias
santo domingo
Simplemente Gracias
hay aruba y san martin
Gracias
Costa rica y panama
Gracias
guadalupe martinica
Gracias
santo tomas y santa cruz
Simplemente Gracias
curazao con su gente bonita
Gracias
holanda inglaterra alemania
Gracias
isla canarias y francia
Gracias
latinos en estados unidos
Simplemente Gracias
gracias hermanos cubanos
Gracias
chile argentina y hawai
Gracias
salvador bolivia y paraguay
Gracias
honduras y guatemala
Simplemente Gracias
nicaragua y uruguay
Gracias
saludamos a japon
Gracias
y si alguien se a quedado
Gracias
reciba de corazon
Simplemente Gracias
un lelolai borincano
Gracias
y en esta humilde cancion
Gracias
lo repetimos a diario
Gracias
y en el treinta aniversario
Simplemente Gracias
gracias pueblo por tu amor
Gracias
Gracias
Gracias
Simplemente Gracias Latino por darnos la mano
por tu apoyo puerto rico
puerto ricooo gracias te damos.
The song Gracias by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico is a heartfelt expression of gratitude to their fans and supporters all around the world. The lyrics are a tribute to the people who have helped the band succeed over the years, and who have made it possible for them to continue doing what they love. The chorus of the song consists of the band thanking their fans for their support - "treinta besos, treinta abrazos, les queremos ofrecer, treinta veces gracias mundo, por nuestra razón de ser" - and then specifically thanking Latin America and Puerto Rico for their support. The song acknowledges the challenges and struggles that the band has faced over the years, but emphasizes that they have always been able to count on their fans to help them through those tough times.
The rest of the lyrics in Gracias describe the history of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico - how they were born out of the generosity of the Puerto Rican people, and how they have faced many struggles and challenges over the years. The song talks about how the band has seen their children grow up and their loved ones pass away, and how they have received support and love from fans all over the world. The overall message of the song is one of gratitude and appreciation, and it speaks to the deep bond that can exist between musicians and their fans.
Line by Line Meaning
Treinta besos trienta abrazos les queremos ofrecer
We want to offer thirty kisses and hugs
treinta veces gracias mundo
Thank you world thirty times
por nuestra razon de ser
For our reason for being
gracias latino por darnos la mano
Thank you Latino for lending us a hand
por tu apoyo puerto rico gracias te damos
Puerto Rico thanks you for your support
Nacimos del cantar de un pueblo del pueblo generoso
We were born from the singing of a generous people
de un don que nos dio el todopoderoso
From a gift that the Almighty gave us
no a sido facil el camino desde que comenzo
The road has not been easy since it began
por alla un dia de mayo del 62
Back in May of '62
y entre luchas sudor que llegan a la mente
And among struggles and sweat that come to mind
que nos a respaldado nuestra gente
Our people have supported us
hemos visto crecer a nuestros hijos
We have seen our children grow
hemos visto partir seres queridos
We have seen loved ones leave
en distintos lugares del planeta
In different parts of the planet
nos han brindado el corazon
They have given us their hearts
por eso reciban nuestro cariño
That's why we send our love
a traves de esta cancion
Through this song
Gracias
Thank you
nacimos en puerto rico
We were born in Puerto Rico
Gracias
Thank you
y hemos sido adoptados
And we have been adopted
Gracias
Thank you
por muchisimos paises
By many countries
Simplemente Gracias
Simply thank you
por eso gracias les damos
That's why we thank you
Gracias
Thank you
mexico españa venezuela
Mexico, Spain, Venezuela
Gracias
Thank you
colombia ecuador y peru
Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru
Gracias
Thank you
santo domingo
Santo Domingo
Simplemente Gracias
Simply thank you
hay aruba y san martin
There's Aruba and Sint Maarten
Gracias
Thank you
Costa rica y panama
Costa Rica and Panama
Gracias
Thank you
guadalupe martinica
Guadeloupe, Martinique
Gracias
Thank you
santo tomas y santa cruz
Saint Thomas and Santa Cruz
Simplemente Gracias
Simply thank you
curazao con su gente bonita
Curaçao with its beautiful people
Gracias
Thank you
holanda inglaterra alemania
Netherlands, England, Germany
Gracias
Thank you
isla canarias y francia
Canary Islands and France
Gracias
Thank you
latinos en estados unidos
Latinos in the United States
Simplemente Gracias
Simply thank you
gracias hermanos cubanos
Thank you, Cuban brothers
Gracias
Thank you
chile argentina y hawai
Chile, Argentina, and Hawaii
Gracias
Thank you
salvador bolivia y paraguay
El Salvador, Bolivia, and Paraguay
Gracias
Thank you
honduras y guatemala
Honduras and Guatemala
Simplemente Gracias
Simply thank you
nicaragua y uruguay
Nicaragua and Uruguay
Gracias
Thank you
saludamos a japon
We greet Japan
Gracias
Thank you
y si alguien se a quedado
And if someone has been left out
reciba de corazon
Receive it from the heart
Simplemente Gracias
Simply thank you
un lelolai borincano
A Puerto Rican lelo lai
Gracias
Thank you
y en esta humilde cancion
And in this humble song
Gracias
Thank you
lo repetimos a diario
We repeat it daily
Gracias
Thank you
y en el treinta aniversario
And on the thirtieth anniversary
Simplemente Gracias
Simply thank you
gracias pueblo por tu amor
Thank you people for your love
Gracias
Thank you
Gracias
Thank you
Simplemente Gracias Latino por darnos la mano
Simply thank you, Latino, for giving us a hand
por tu apoyo puerto rico
Puerto Rico thanks you for your support
puerto ricooo gracias te damos
We give you thanks, Puerto Rico
Contributed by Emma B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.