Gipsy Kings Biography
The Gipsy Kings are largely responsible for bringing the joyful sounds of progressive pop-oriented flamenco, called Sevillana in Spain, to the world. The band started out in Arles, a village in southern France during the '70s when brothers Nicolas and Andre Reyes, the sons of renowned flamenco artist Jose Reyes, teamed up with their cousins Jacques, Maurice and Tonino Baliardo, whose father is Manitas de Plata. They originally called themselves Los Reyes and started out as a gypsy band traveling about playing weddings, festivals, and in the streets. Because they lived so much like gypsies, the band adopted the name the Gipsy Kings. Later, they were hired to add color to posh parties in St. Tropez. Popularity did not come to Los Reyes right away and their first two albums attracted little notice. At this point the Gipsies played traditional, albeit passionate flamenco music punctuated by Tonino's precise guitar playing and Nicolas' exceptional voice. Though they had devoted fans, they still had yet to gain wider recognition until 1986 when they hooked up with visionary producer Claude Martinez who could see that the Kings had the makings of a world-class band.
Thanks to Martinez, the Kings began to relax a bit and take on a more contemporary edge, combining their traditional songs with sounds from the Middle East, Latin America, North Africa, a hint of rock, and their inimitable joy. It was, in a music industry filled with flamenco purists who resisted any kind of change, a very daring move, and many felt the Gipsy Kings would fall flat and disappear. But the nay-sayers were wrong. In 1987, they released "Djobi Djoba" and "Bamboleo," on an independent label and scored two smash hits in France. Their success led them to sign with Sony Music and release their eponymous debut album later that year. Again, they had tremendous sales in France and then found their album was appearing on the Top Ten album charts in 12 European countries including England, which is traditionally unreceptive to international music. In the late '80s, the Gipsy Kings, debuted in the U.S. at a New York New Music Seminar. This led them to sign to Sony in America. In 1989, they were invited to perform at the inaugural ball for George Bush, but they chose to return home to rest and be with their families. Later that year, they held an SRO concert at the Royal Albert Hall, where the Gipsy Kings hobnobbed with some of the world's biggest pop stars including Elton John and Eric Clapton. To top off their great year, the Kings' debut album spent 40 weeks on the U.S. charts and went gold, becoming one of the few Spanish albums to do so. The Kings have had an active release schedule ever since, including the albums Mosaique (1989), Live! (1992), Love & Liberte (1994), Tierra Gitana (1996), Cantos de Amor (1998), Somos Gitanos (2001), Roots (2004) and Pasajero (2007). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Music Guide
Popular Biographies:
Demon Biography: New Wave of British Heavy Metal band, Demon were known for their shocking and elaborate performances (quite unique, considering the no-fuss, stripped-down philosophy characteristic of...
Paradise lost Biography: The British doom metal band Paradise Lost formed in Halifax, England in 1988; originally comprising vocalist Nick Holmes, lead guitarist Gregor Mackintosh, rhythm guitarist Aaron Aedy, bassist Steve...
Japanese telecom Biography: Ever since Juan Atkins dubbed himself Model 500 in the mid-'80s, it has become somewhat of a tradition for Detroit electro artists to shroud themselves in mystery, hiding behind odd monikers and...
Silicone soul Biography: Silicone Soul, composed of techno heads Graeme Reedie and Craig Morrison, carries the torch supporting club/dance music in Scotland. Hailing from Glasgow, Reedie and Morrison instantly clicked...
Chingy Biography: Reminiscent of Nelly and repped by Ludacris -- the Dirty South's two biggest stars in the early 2000s -- Chingy had all the makings of a rap sensation and indeed lived up to his promise immediately,...
Boy george Biography: British singer Boy George combined a strong, soulful singing voice with a provocative sense of fashion, both of which were first brought to the attention of English and American audiences in the...
Stahlhammer Biography: The Viennese death metal band Stahlhammer comprised guitarist Tomas Schuler, bassist Peter Karolyi and drummer Michael Stocker. Debuting in 1997 with Killerinstinkt, the trio resurfaced a year later...
U totem Biography: U Totem was formed by members of two bands: drummer/composer David Kerman's 5UU's and bassist/composer James Grigsby's Motor Totemist Guild. These two groups were active in the Los Angeles area...