Rafael Ithier Natal (born 29 August 1926) is a Puerto Rican

salsa music Salsa music is a style of Latin American music, combining elements of Cuban and Puerto Rican influences. Because most of the basic musical components predate the labeling of salsa, there have been many controversies regarding its origin. Most ...

ian and the founder of the highly successful orchestra El Gran Combo. Ithier was born in

Río Piedras Rio or Río is the Portuguese and Spanish word for "river". The word also exists in Italian, but is largely obsolete and used in a poetical or literary context to mean "stream". Rio, RIO or Río may also refer to: Places United States * Rio, Flo ...

, now a part of the municipality of

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. In 2016, Ithier celebrated his 90th birthday and was interviewed by a news outlet in Puerto Rico about his contributions to Puerto Rican music.

Early years

Raised in

Río Piedras, Puerto Rico Río Piedras () (Spanish language, Spanish for ''stones river'') is a highly urbanized commercial and residential district in San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan, the capital Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality of Puerto Rico. Adjacent to th ...

, he showed a passion for music at a very young age. His father was Nicolas Ithier and his mother Mérida Natal. His uncle, Salvador Ithier, played music together with Rafael Hernández, another of Puerto Rico's music legends. He served in the

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during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. While stationed in Korea he formed a music group entitled the ''Los Borinquena Mambo Boys.''

Musical career

Ithier Nadal became an expert guitarist in the

bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It h ...

genre, and he was a member of the Tito Henriquez group, ''Taone.'' His sister Esperanza later inspired him to learn how to play the piano. Ithier Nadal and his namesake, Rafael Cortijo, knew each other and formed a friendship at an early age; rumors of animosity would later surface but they both denied it, saying they considered themselves to be "like brothers." Ithier Nadal joined Cortijo's orchestra, "Cortijo y su Combo", during the 1950s. Before that, he was in a New York group named the "Borinqueneers

Mambo Mambo most often refers to: *Mambo (music), a Cuban musical form *Mambo (dance), a dance corresponding to mambo music Mambo may also refer to: Music * Mambo section, a section in arrangements of some types of Afro-Caribbean music, particul ...

Boys." In 1977 Ithier Nadal worked as a music arranger on the debut album for the Puerto Rican ensemble band " Puerto Rico All Stars".

El Gran Combo

In 1962, Ithier Nadal formed "El Gran Combo", becoming the orchestra's leader. As of 2012, he was still the orchestra leader and continued to tour with the group. On his 90th birthday he was interviewed and stated that was successful because of their great discipline.

Early years

Musical career

El Gran Combo

References

Notes

See also