Eddie Perez vs. El Gran Combo; No Winners!

Actually, I think we all lose. In recent days Eddie Perez vs. El Gran Combo has taken a turn for the worst when Eddie filed a court demand against El Gran Combo for unjustified firing.

In case you don’t follow Salsa music that closely, Eddie Perez was a founding member of El Gran Combo, which just celebrated its 50th anniversary. Last year Eddie got sick and due to an infection, lost half a leg. Shortly after his illness, Eddie Perez was apparently fired, although El Gran Combo disagrees that they fired him and the truth of how Eddie is no longer part of El Gran Combo is unclear.

You know where it goes from there….downhill. “He said that the other said”, etc., etc, etc..

Where was the Eddie Perez-Gran Combo Communication Lost?

What I really regret about this whole Eddie Perez vs. El Gran Combo situation is that after having collaborated for almost a lifetime, Eddie and Rafael Ithier weren’t able to iron differences out by talking in private. Right off the bat, it’s hard to think of any musical partnership that has lasted together as long as Eddie and Ithier have first with Cortijo y su Combo, and then leaving that to form El Gran Combo, and having 50 years with this musical institution.

I’m not taking sides in this conflict. I think we all lost in this one. We all had Rafael Ithier and El Gran Combo in the highest esteem regarding any Latin music group in the world. The ethics, the discipline, and the lack of any major problems like this through 50 years was an indication that the system Rafael Ithier had put in place worked.

The closest “scandal” to this one was when Andy Montanez left the group in the 1970’s to go sing with Venezuela’s La Dimension Latina who had just lost their main singer Oscar D’Leon. I’m sure you remember the 1978 “Aqui No Ha Pasado Nada” “tiraera” song that El Gran Combo released in the aftermath, calling Andy Montanez “alacran” (scorpion). A bit later, Andy recorded with Pellin Rodriguez an album in which he responded “a quien tu llamas alacran” (who are you calling scorpion). The whole thing wasn’t pretty nor classy by either side. As years passed the wound was healed and Andy and El Gran Combo restored the old friendship they had.

Below is a video of El Gran Combo performing “Aqui No Ha Pasado Nada”:

…and Andy’s response with “Alacran”

There is a difference with Eddie Perez situation. He is old, got sick, and had to get part of a leg amputated. It’s in the aftermath of Eddie’s health issue when this all unfolds. Its regrettable things were not communicated more clearly between Eddie Perez and El Gran Combo. But in this “he said, he said” they all loose.

By disputing with an ill member (or better said…ex-member), El Gran Combo falls from its pedestal as a Latin music iconic institution. But Eddie Perez is not just any member either – he was a founding member of this band, and his ties with Ithier go back to the Cortijo days. And with this type of friendship and history, they couldn’t deal with this situation and put it to rest privately?

To me, this dispute really tarnished the image I had of El Gran Combo and of Eddie Perez. I’m really hoping El Gran Combo doesn’t take this to the next level down by releasing a “tiraera” song aimed at Eddie, even if they are saying the truth. That would really disappoint me. On the other hand, Eddie should prove he tried to mend this by amicable means if this dispute goes to trial.

I’m hoping reason and friendship prevail at the end, and that they can settle their differences out of court and find a happy ending to this so that we can brush this under the carpet as just a temporary misunderstanding.