Rafael Ithier

Rafael Ithier Natal

(born August 29, 1926) is a Puerto Rican salsa musician and the founder of the highly successful orchestra El Gran Combo.

Ithier was born in Río Piedras, now a part of the municipality of San Juan.

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 Boys."

In 1962, Ithier Nadal formed "El Gran Combo", becoming the orchestra's leader.

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

On his 90th birthday he was interviewed and stated that El Gran Combo was successful because of their great discipline.

As of 2012, he was still the orchestra leader and continued to tour with the group.

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

Raised in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, 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 United States Army during the Korean War.

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

Ithier Nadal became an expert guitarist in the bolero 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."