Leading the acclaimed salsa group El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, he brought the music of his native island to a worldwide ...

The pianist, composer and arranger spent more than six decades turning El Gran Combo into one of the premier salsa ...

Rafael Ithier, the founder and bandleader of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, has died at 98, leaving an unparalleled legacy in ...

The band -- founded by the late Rafael Ithier -- has placed more than 40 songs on the Tropical Airplay chart, including 15 top 10s.

Rafael Ithier, the beloved musician who led world-renowned salsa band El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, has died at age 99.

Rafael Ithier, the dynamic and congenial Puerto Rican pianist and bandleader who founded renown salsa band El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico and was its leader for decades, died Sunday (Dec. 7) in Puerto ...