Few musical groups have lasted half a century, maintaining their rhythmic identity unchanged, overcoming the pressures of the recording industry and resisting the vicissitudes of consumer culture as El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico has done. 

Unlike other salsa orchestras, particularly those that emerged in New York since the late 1960s, our so-called “Mulatos del Sabor” have always protected their musical timbre from innovations and complex experiments, safeguarding the unique, simple and rhythmic sound that has characterized it since its founding on May 26, 1962. 

This does not mean that throughout their 54 years of history they have evaded the significance of new harmonic techniques and trends brought by new times and new generations. On the contrary, they study and enjoy them, but generally, they keep them at a cautious distance to avoid infecting the identity traits of their sound. 

Thanks to this creative circumspection, the group, led by Rafael Ithier Nadal, has managed to establish a signature like very few other Afro-Antillean groups. The proof is in their musical catalogue, so it is enough to listen, for example, to the harmonization of “Acángana”, a song produced in their third album, at the end of 1963, and continue a journey through their history through melodies such as “Ojos chinos”, “A ti te pasa algo”, “Las hojas blancas” or “Sin salsa no hay paraíso” to confirm the thesis.