Puerto Rican Salsa Orchestra; Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Recipient & International Latin Music Hall of Fame Inductee

Live Event: $100,000 - $200,000 Virtual Event: Please Contact More Fee Info

El Gran Combo Biography

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a salsa orchestra, also known as La Universidad de la Salsa (The University of Salsa). Founded in May 1962 by Rafael Ithier, the group celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2012 with a grand world tour spanning five continents. Their 60th anniversary in 2022 was marked with a feature on Norberto Vélez's YouTube channel "Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 32". Ithier, the only remaining member from the original lineup, served as the musical director until his passing in 2025. Their first album, "Menéame los mangos," was released on November 20, 1963, and their album "Acángana" became a number-one hit in New York City, Panama, and Puerto Rico, reaching gold status.

In 1967, El Gran Combo's album "Boogaloo con el Gran Combo" also reached gold status, and in 1969 they were awarded an Agüeybana de Oro in Puerto Rico. They were inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2000 and received the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. Past performances include a 1973 appearance at Yankee Stadium as the opening act for the Fania All-Stars, two sold-out concerts in 2002 at the Ruben Rodríguez Coliseum in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, to celebrate their 40th anniversary, and two massive concerts at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in 2007 to commemorate their 45th anniversary.

They released the hit album "Arroz con Habichuela" in 2006 and in 2011, they rewrote the lyrics to their own song "No Hago Más Ná" to "Echar Pa'lante" which promotes the virtues of work. El Gran Combo's influence in the genre is reflected in the title La Universidad de la Salsa. They have had 22 entries in the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart and have released numerous albums, including "En Cuarentena" in 2021. The group has been honored with the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 and the ASCAP Latin Heritage Award in 2017, and continues to actively perform.

BOOK El Gran Combo

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 12/08/2025.

El Gran Combo Videos

El Gran Combo TRAILER | Word Up

El Gran Combo TRAILER | Word Up

El Gran Combo Many bookstores many books many virtual and live Fiestas Featuring: Angie Cruz Carolina De Robertis Jaquira Díaz Lilliam.

Clip from El Gran Combo 2022 | Writing a book and publishing

Clip from El Gran Combo 2022 | Writing a book and publishing

El Gran Combo featuring Kali Fajardo-Anstine Cleyvis Natera Reyna Grande and Dahla LLanos-Figueroa and moderated by Angie Cruz.

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico | Sun. Aug. 13, 2023

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico | Sun. Aug. 13, 2023

Led by pianist and musical director Rafael Ithier, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico is one of Puerto Rico’s greatest dance bands. Decades after its...

  • How do I book El Gran Combo to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like El Gran Combo for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for El Gran Combo, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for El Gran Combo or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for El Gran Combo

    Speaking fees for El Gran Combo, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book El Gran Combo are $100,000 - $200,000 for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire El Gran Combo, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does El Gran Combo speak about?

    El Gran Combo is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Entertainment, Hispanic Heritage, Music
  • Where does El Gran Combo travel from?

    El Gran Combo generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is El Gran Combo’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like El Gran Combo for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book El Gran Combo for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host El Gran Combo or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

El Gran Combo is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book El Gran Combo for your event is $100,000 - $200,000. El Gran Combo generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Lunay, Myke Towers, Omar Apollo, Yandel and Ivy Queen. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling El Gran Combo for an upcoming live or virtual event.

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.
Please Select Event Budget
Please enter your message
Please Enter Your Name
Please Enter Your Email
  • Customized Service

    Our agents find the right fit for your event

  • Unparalleled Database

    Full access to all speakers & celebrities

  • One Stop Shopping

    A reliable and unbiased point of contact

  • Logistics Management

    Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

TOP