Rafael Antonio Cortijo (December 11, 1928 – October 3, 1982) was a Puerto Rican musician, orchestra leader, composer and percussion instrument craftsman. Early Career As a child, Cortijo became interested in Caribbean music and enjoyed the works of some of the era's most successful Bomba y Plena music musicians. Throughout his life, he had a chance to meet and work with some of them, and learned how to make his own congas and pleneras, the handheld drums used in bomba y plena music. Salsa composer and singer Ismael Rivera met Cortijo when both were youngsters, as they both grew up in the Villa Palmeras neighborhood of Santurce; they became lifelong friends. Rivera was impressed with Cortijo's conga-playing skills and was asked to join his orchestra, which played at Fiestas patronales all over Puerto Rico. “Cortijo himself was discovered, or given his earliest encouragement by “Mr. Babalú,” the celebrated Cuban singer Miguelito Valdés. Getting his formal start in 1942 as a bongo player with Conjunto Monterey, the young Cortijo played with a range of groups in those years and made a radio appearance with Trio Matamoros. But is breakthrough came in 1954 when he joined pianist Rafael Ithier on the Secco label with his soulmate Ismael Rivera…” Later Career By 1954, Cortijo was a member of "El Combo". His big break with the group came when El Combo's leader and pianist, Mario Román, left the band to Cortijo expecting to return to the band after a New York gig with Myrta Silva. Román never returned to the band in pursuit of other interests in New York's Latin music scene. Ismael Rivera, then the lead singer of Lito Peña's Orquesta Panamericana, joined Cortijo's orchestra known as Cortijo y su Combo in 1955. From then until 1960, his orchestra played live on Puerto Rican television shows (sometime in the 1960s, they became the house band at La Taberna India). Later on, Cortijo created another orchestra, "El Bonche", where he was joined by his adopted niece, Fe Cortijo. Fe then became a well known singer on her own. Marvin Santiago became part of Cortijo's line-up around this time. Cortijo and Rivera went on to live in New York City. Cortijo, then, soon returned to Puerto Rico, where the composer, Tite Curet Alonso, forged a friendship with the impoverished star and helped Cortijo produce a comeback album. Cortijo y su Combo In 1954, Cortijo y