Nicolas Reyes: lead vocals, guitar
Paul Reyes: backup vocals, guitar
Canut Reyes: backup vocals, guitar
Patchai Reyes: backup vocals, guitar
Andre Reyes: guitar/vocals
Diego Baliardo: guitar
Paco Baliardo: guitar
Tonino Baliardo: lead guitar
Chico Bouchikhi was also a member of the Gipsy Kings, but quit after the album Mosaique.
Influences
Albums:
Allegria (1982)
Luna De Fuego (1983)
Gipsy Kings (1988)
Mosaique (1989)
Allegria (US Version) (1990)
Este Mundo (1991)
Live (1992)
Love and Liberté (1993)
Greatest Hits (1994)
The Best of the Gipsy Kings (1995)
Estrellas (1995)
Tierra Gitana (1996)
Compas (1997)
Cantos De Amor (1998)
Volare: The Very Best of the Gipsy Kings (1999, re-released in 2000)
Somos Gitanos (2001)
Tonino Baliardo (2003)
Roots (2004)
Pasajero (2006)
Begin in Catalonia and follow the coast into France, curving through fishing villages, farming communities, wild lands where white horses run free and huge black bulls are bred for fighting. Nearby stand the ancient cities of Perpignan, Montpelier and Arles. This is fertile terrain, fought over across millennia, home to Roman aqueducts and amphitheatres, once host to Cezanne, Van Gogh and Gauguin, long renowned for fine wines and fierce people. And today the region's celebrated as the land of Gipsy Kings.
The Gipsy Kings are that rare thing - a household name famous solely for their music; the most successful French musical outfit ever are big in Brazil and popular (extremely so) in Persia, honoured at The Alamo in Texas and celebrated in China. All this achieved without MTV videos, hype, reality TV appearances, famous girlfriends, bad behaviour... an international audience won over purely by the music and the big, welcoming soulfulness of its creators. That's no ordinary achievement. Understandably, the Gipsy Kings are extraordinary characters: to play guitar and sing is something their fathers, grandfathers and ancestors did. The Gipsy Kings make music as communion, artistry rooted in the past yet focused on the future.
The Gipsy Kings consist of two bands of brothers: the Reyes (Nicolas, Canut, Paul, Patchaï, André) and the Baliardos (Tonino, Paco, Diego). They took initial shape when the teenage Reyes boys began backing their father Jose.
Jose Reyes, singing alongside guitarist Manitas de Plata, did much to popularise flamenco internationally: John Steinbeck, Charlie Chaplin, Pablo Picasso, Miles Davis and Salvador Dali were amongst the duo's admirers. Jose's death devastated his sons yet lead to a fortuitous encounter with the Baliardos at the St Marie de la Mer Gitan pilgrimage. On that warm night, as they passed the guitar, shared songs and wine, history was shaped.
Initially, the Reyes and Baliardos busked on the streets of Cannes, played weddings and parties, young men flavouring flamenco with Western pop and Latin rhythms. When an American admirer told the band their name Los Reyes meant "The Kings" in English they realised they were born to be Gipsy Kings.
In 1987 The Gipsy Kings - selftitled debut album introduced the world to 'rumba Gitano' - the sound of South America's rumba rhythm married to flamenco guitars' and with 'Bamboleo' the Gipsy Kings scored a huge international hit. Since then the Kings have never stopped singing to the world.
Today the Gipsy Kings still live with their families in the south of France. Life may have changed for them - they no longer busk on streets or pick crops when times are hard or travel in caravans - but still, at heart, they remain Gypsies, the proud descendants of an ancient people who seduced the world with music and dance.
On their new album, 'Pasajero', the Gipsy Kings continue their epic musical journey.
AS A TRIBUTE TO THE LATE PHIL POWELL, MIKE PETERS (The Alarm) & CHINA CRISIS WILL BE PLAYING IN CONCERT ON THURSDAY 17th DECEMBER @ THE SCALA PRESTATYN. TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM THE SCALA BOX OFFICE TEL. 01745 854365. DOORS 7.30, TICKETS £22.
Thanks for the comment and the add, I think you get a amazing future in front of you with your music, because you have a amazing, beautiful and wonderful song voice and you have real good and amazing songs and I wish you all the best with your music and your future with music in years forward:) You get have a wonderful and lovely weekend:)
Gypsy Kings! Thanks so very much for your gracious add and a very good morning to you!
Have a wonderful weekend, Wishing you and yours a Very Safe, Healthy, and Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year, many well wishes, blessings, and inspiration to you, and much continued success to you. All best! Arlene :D http://www.myspace.com/arleneweiss http://blog.myspace.com/arleneweiss
