{"artistName":"El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico","artistId":12177,"artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/c5c/c5cedde3c0dde79e84416f5036ac5e24_xl.jpg","srcset":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/c5c/c5cedde3c0dde79e84416f5036ac5e24_sm.jpg 50w,https://artist99.cdn107.com/c5c/c5cedde3c0dde79e84416f5036ac5e24_md.jpg 80w,https://artist99.cdn107.com/c5c/c5cedde3c0dde79e84416f5036ac5e24_lg.jpg 200w,https://artist99.cdn107.com/c5c/c5cedde3c0dde79e84416f5036ac5e24_xl.jpg 340w","artistBio":"\u003cp\u003eEl Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, commonly known as El Gran Combo (and sometimes abbreviated as EGC), is a Puerto Rican Salsa music orchestra. It is Puerto Rico's most successful musical group, and one of the most popular salsa orchestras across Latin America. The group received the moniker La Universidad de la Salsa (The University of Salsa) in Colombia, due to the sheer number of famous salsa musicians and singers who developed their careers with it, who started with the group (particularly Andy Montañez), or who were occasionally backed up by the band (including Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe and La India).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEl Gran Combo was founded in May 1962, by Rafael Ithier. Ithier is still nominally its musical director, and he and saxophonist Eddie \"La Bala\" Pérez are the only remaining members from the band's original lineup. as of 2010[update] Willie Sotelo, who joined the group in 2006 as pianist, has become the band's de facto musical director on tours, with Ithier conducting the group and playing occasionally in select live performances. They are still actively performing after 47 years together.\u003c/p\u003e","musicPath":"/music/El+Gran+Combo+de+Puerto+Rico","playStationPath":"/stations/105053138/play","stationId":105053138,"bioPath":"/music/El+Gran+Combo+de+Puerto+Rico/_full_bio","similars":[{"musicPath":"/music/Mike+Bahia","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/a91/a91612832c2e950896a21e9b90eb39cf_md.jpg","artistName":"Mike Bahia","artistId":334219,"station_id":389057751},{"musicPath":"/music/Ricardo+Ray","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/564/56444b5ff59f55d54c460ef8182b7e5a_md.jpg","artistName":"Ricardo Ray","artistId":101843,"station_id":280763942},{"musicPath":"/music/Guayacan+Orquesta","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/586/586e9118acab3aa5eb1f9c05577d58b7_md.jpg","artistName":"Guayacán Orquesta","artistId":420922,"station_id":400030788},{"musicPath":"/music/DAVID+PABON","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/9f0/9f0d3a059448d0666715337ac89328e0_md.jpg","artistName":"DAVID PABON","artistId":122555,"station_id":283793062},{"musicPath":"/music/Joe+Arroyo+Y+La+Verdad","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/3c1/3c10594054273d6c8c465c1a8d9f7333_md.jpg","artistName":"Joe Arroyo Y La Verdad","artistId":86971,"station_id":270118290},{"musicPath":"/music/Beny+More","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/35c/35caca3f215b3968de1da66347b76b98_md.jpg","artistName":"Beny Moré","artistId":86908,"station_id":270118261},{"musicPath":"/music/Joe+Quijano","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/a7f/a7f5533e543b400cf3e5c8e47ecdb5ef_md.jpg","artistName":"Joe Quijano","artistId":94246,"station_id":275722592},{"musicPath":"/music/La+Sonora+Dinamita","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/ff9/ff94641e03993a9f79cb1f57cf145da8_md.jpg","artistName":"La Sonora Dinamita","artistId":87012,"station_id":270118345},{"musicPath":"/music/Grupo+Gale","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/3b0/3b048ed4375535e37319749a5a87501c_md.jpg","artistName":"Grupo Galé","artistId":86964,"station_id":270118282},{"musicPath":"/music/Sonora+Poncena","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/7bc/7bc4229d0d08477d3fbcc5c65d8aa5aa_md.jpg","artistName":"Sonora Poncena","artistId":137717,"station_id":286730496},{"musicPath":"/music/Orquesta+Zodiac","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/002/0020a85dc86a6b8cd171c9c97f88f6b5_md.jpg","artistName":"Orquesta Zodiac","artistId":101113,"station_id":280763550},{"musicPath":"/music/Alberto+Barros","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/3c7/3c72467818d448d77713afd58734adcc_md.jpg","artistName":"Alberto Barros","artistId":121914,"station_id":283947139},{"musicPath":"/music/Henry+Fiol","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/4c2/4c2a0d70a4d17e1388deee22d57a381b_md.jpg","artistName":"Henry Fiol","artistId":88673,"station_id":271172242},{"musicPath":"/music/Orchestra+Harlow","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/a9e/a9e034e7e3ed2c2596ddd486db257a0d_md.jpg","artistName":"Orchestra Harlow","artistId":107041,"station_id":281862309},{"musicPath":"/music/Tito+Rodriguez","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/405/4051c5e01f29f449c8e7c82f78e6101f_md.jpg","artistName":"Tito Rodríguez","artistId":8459,"station_id":119973367},{"musicPath":"/music/Africando","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/6ba/6ba5d396a88acb366b6371574a54192e_md.jpg","artistName":"Africando","artistId":82218,"station_id":268619387},{"musicPath":"/music/Richie+Ray+Bobby+Cruz","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/32f/32fa0c37f4fd488c1dd839ec75949eb0_md.jpg","artistName":"Richie Ray \u0026 Bobby Cruz","artistId":103776,"station_id":287828562},{"musicPath":"/music/Tommy+Torres","artistDefaultImage":"https://artist99.cdn107.com/45c/45cfa4358ec78b4e24a827a9f017d50a_md.jpg","artistName":"Tommy Torres","artistId":11083,"station_id":113352250}]}