[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13241]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       IN HONOR OF EL GRAN COMBO

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 8, 2011

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of El Gran Combo, 
and welcome the legendary salsa group to Cleveland.
  Founded in May, 1962 by Raphael Itheir, El Gran Combo is Puerto 
Rico's most successful musical group and one of the most popular salsa 
orchestras across Latin America. The 13-piece salsa group captivates 
its fans with their Latin rhythms and vocal harmonies. The group has 
released over 50 albums throughout the years and continues to produce 
new music and perform live shows throughout the world.
  The Puerto Rican Senate has hailed El Gran Combo as the ``Ambassadors 
of Our Music'' and in Colombia they are known as La Universidad de la 
Salsa due to their unique role in launching the career of countless 
musicians and performers. El Gran Combo has received many awards over 
the past several decades, including golden albums, a Grammy for Best 
Tropical Album in 2003, a ``Calendario de Plata'' in Mexico, a ``Golden 
Combo'' in Colombia, a ``Paoli Award'' in their native Puerto Rico, and 
an honorable distinction in Spain.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition 
of El Gran Combo as they celebrate almost 50 years of outstanding 
contributions to the music industry.

                          ____________________