Tickets Available Starting Friday, March 4, at 10 a.m.

Musical group El Gran Combo is set to perform in the Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa on Sunday, October 2, at 6 p.m.

Fans can access venue presale tickets beginning Wednesday, March 2, at 10 a.m. through Seminole Hard Rock Tampa’s Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook pages.

Tickets starting at $55 will be available Friday, March 4, at 10 a.m. via seminolehardrocktampa.com and Ticketmaster.

Few musical groups have lasted half a century maintaining their rhythmic identity unchanged, overcoming the pressures of the record industry, and resisting the vicissitudes of consumer culture as El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico has done.

Different from other salsa orchestras, particularly those that emerged in New York since the end of the 1960s, El Gran Combo, so-called “Mulatos del Sabor,” have always protected their musical timbre from innovations and complex experiments, safeguarding their own simple, rhythmic sound.

The group, commanded by Rafael Ithier Nadal, has managed to establish a rubric like very few other Afro-Caribbean groups. The sample is in his musical catalog, for example, the harmonization of “Acángana”, a song produced on his third album, at the end of 1963, and continue a journey through his history through melodies like “Chinese eyes”, “Something is wrong with you”, “The white sheets” or “There is no paradise without sauce” to confirm the thesis.

Part of the recipe for the success of this famous group is to make everyday songs with simple, rhythmic and intelligible arrangements, a good rhythmic section and a lot of key. Always thinking about the taste of the public without departing –and this is important– from the roots of Puerto Rican popular music.

It is, without a doubt, a sign of the national and Afro-Caribbean identity that is nourished by the rich cultural tradition that emerged and was consolidated in the last half of the 20th century and that remains strengthened to the present. Tanned in the shadow of veteran percussionist Rafael Cortijo Verdejo, the musicians who originated El Gran Combo in 1962 managed to impose a rhythmic sound that immediately captivated the national audience and, in a short time, during its first decade, began to take root on stages around the United States, Colombia, Venezuela and Panama. The breadth of its repertoire, the sparkle of its choreographies, the charisma of its members and the wisdom of incorporating playful melodies and everyday stories into its songbook fueled the key to success.

About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa

Owned and operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa is one of the largest and most successful casinos in the world offering award-winning gaming, hospitality, and entertainment. The casino features nearly 5,000 of the hottest slot machines, 179 table games and a state-of-the-art Poker Room featuring 46 tables. Additionally, the casino offers a smoke-free Mezzanine Level Casino. The hotel is AAA Four Diamond rated and proudly offers ten restaurants, including the upscale dining venues Council Oak Steaks & Seafood and The Rez Grill, as well as the new elegant Italian restaurant, Cipresso. Recent openings include a new hotel tower, an elevated arrival experience, the Hard Rock Event Center and Rock Spa® & Salon. The resort is located off I-4 at North Orient Road and Hillsborough Avenue, about 10 minutes east of downtown Tampa. For more information, please call 866-502-PLAY or visit us online and via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.​

About Hard Rock®:

Hard Rock International (HRI)  is one of the most globally recognized companies with venues in 68 countries spanning 253 locations that include owned/licensed or managed Hotels, Casinos, Rock Shops®, Live Performance Venues and Cafes. HRI also launched a joint venture named Hard Rock Digital in 2020, an online sportsbook, retail sportsbook and internet gaming platform. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s largest and most valuable collection of authentic music memorabilia at more than 86,000 pieces, which are displayed at its locations around the globe. In 2021, Hard Rock was honored as one of Forbes Magazine’s Best Employers for Diversity, a Top Employer for Women and the Top Employer in the Travel & Leisure, Gaming, and Entertainment Industry. Hard Rock was also designated as a U.S. Best Managed Company by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal and named the top performing hotel brand in J.D. Power’s North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study for the third consecutive year in 2021. The brand is owned by HRI parent entity The Seminole Tribe of Florida. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com or shop.hardrock.com.

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