The Great Combo will be present at ‘Una Noche de Salsa 14’. Here we tell you more about its emblematic singer Jerry Rivas.
Jerry Rivas It is the voice with the longest history of The Great Combo currently, marking several generations of salseros. In his voice, great salsa classics such as ‘I freed myself’, ‘Jealous woman’, ‘I give you my heart’ and more. However, few know how his story began at the ‘Universidad de la Salsa’.
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When did Jerry Rivas join El Gran Combo?
Jerry Rivas He was born on August 25, 1955 in Florida, although he grew up in Puerto Rico. When he was young he didn’t really like salsa, as he preferred rock and played the guitar. However, his brother José Enrique and the admiration he felt for Cheo Feliciano awakened his interest in that rhythm, and little by little he began to become passionate about the genre and closely follow him. The Great Combo.
On April 19, 1977 he had his big opportunity when he joined the famous orchestra as a replacement for Andy Montanez. His first days were not easy, since several doubted him and not everyone accepted him as the new main voice, especially because he was the only white member of the group, something that generated comments and challenges at the beginning of his time in the renowned group.
(Photo: Facebook)
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Jerry Rivas was not accepted by fans, but he managed to conquer them
Jerry Rivas He recalled that at first he had to face criticism from followers of Andy Montanezwho had been the previous voice of the group. “I had to battle with the fans of Andy Montanez. “They told me to my face that I was not in anything, that I was very white, that I didn’t fit in with the group,” he said in an interview. Even so, with effort and perseverance he managed to gradually gain the affection of the public, and over time he demonstrated his talent on stage.
Today he remains one of the main voices of The Great Comboa group created by Rafael Ithier. With more than four decades in the orchestra, he continues to conquer fans with classics such as ‘Me Liberé’, ‘El Menu’, ‘La Fiesta de Pilito’ and ‘Y No Hace Más Na”, among many other hits.
The Great Combo in ‘Una Noche de Salsa 14’
The Great Combo of Puerto Rico will be one of the stellar groups of ‘A Night of Salsa 14’ at the National Stadium on March 27 and 28, 2026. There are very few tickets left for both dates on Teleticket.
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