This article is about the musical group. For persons with title Gipsy King, see King of the Gypsies.
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Gipsy Kings

The band playing live
Background information
Origin Arles, Provence, France
Genres rumba flamenca, pop
Years active 1978–present
Labels Elektra Records
Nonesuch Records
Columbia/SME Records
Website https://www.gipsykings.com/
Members
Nicolas Reyes
Paul Reyes
Canut Reyes
Patchai Reyes
Andre Reyes
Diego Baliardo
Paco Baliardo
Tonino Baliardo
Past members
Chico Bouchikhi
Jorge Trasante

The Gipsy Kings are a group of musicians from Arles and Montpellier, who perform in Spanish with an Andalucían accent. Although group members were born in France, their parents were mostly gitanos, Spanish Romani people who fled Catalonia during the 1930s Spanish Civil War. Chico Bouchikhi is of Moroccan and Algerian descent. They are known for bringing rumba catalana, a pop-oriented music distantly derived from traditional flamenco music, to worldwide audiences. The group originally called itself Los Reyes.

Their music has a particular rumba flamenca style, with pop influences; many songs of the Gipsy Kings fit social dances, such as salsa and rumba. Their music has been described as a place where "Spanish flamenco and Romani rhapsody meet salsa funk".[1]

Contents

Background [link]

The Gipsy Kings are from France and are largely responsible for bringing the sounds of progressive pop-oriented flamenco to the world. The band started out in Arles, a town in southern France, during the 1970s, when brothers Nicolas and Andre Reyes, the sons of renowned flamenco artist Jose Reyes, teamed up with their cousins Jacques, Maurice, and Tonino Baliardo, who played with Manitas de Plata. Manitas de Plata and Jose Reyes were a 2-man group that started the entire revelation of Gypsy Rumba, but mostly Jose, who was a famous singer, when he departed Manitas and started a band of his own made up of his children which he called "Los Reyes". Los Reyes would later become "Gipsy Kings".

Los Reyes started out as a gypsy band. They traveled around France, playing at 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. But popularity did not come to Los Reyes quickly, and their first two albums attracted little notice. At this point, the Gipsies played traditional flamenco punctuated by Baliardo's precise guitar playing and Nicolas Reyes' exceptional voice.

Though they had devoted fans, the Gipsy Kings then had yet to gain wider recognition. That was until 1986, when they met producer Claude Martinez, who could see that the Kings had the makings of a world-class band.

The three left-handed guitarists in the Gipsy Kings' line-up play guitars that are strung for a right-hander, playing them upside-down. These left-handed performers focus on delivering the strong underpinning rhythms while the more complex leads are performed by the right-handed and conventionally styled Baliardo.[citation needed]

Career [link]

They became popular with their self-titled first album, Gipsy Kings, which included the songs "Djobi Djoba" [2], "Bamboleo" [3] and the romantic ballad "Un Amor". The song "Volare" on their fourth album Mosaïque is a rumba version of Domenico Modugno's Italian hit "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu". The Gipsy Kings were popular in Africa and throughout Europe, as well as in the Middle East.

In 1989, Gipsy Kings was released in the United States, and it spent 40 weeks on the charts, one of few Spanish language albums to do so. They covered "I've Got No Strings" on the 1991 Disney video and compilation album Simply Mad About the Mouse. Their cover version of "Hotel California" is an example of fast flamenco guitar leads and rhythmic strumming (this version was featured in the Coen Brothers' movie The Big Lebowski, as well on the HBO series Entourage). The 2010 film Toy Story 3 featured a version of "You've Got a Friend in Me" performed and recorded by the Gipsy Kings; the Spanish release featured the Spanish version, titled "Hay un Amigo en Mi" and played in a flamenco style.

The Gipsy Kings will plan to release their seventh album, entitled The GK S.A.R.L. Apartments in 2015.

Members [link]

Gipsy Kings are members of two related families: the Reyes (Kings in Spanish) and the Baliardos. Nicolas, Canut, Paul, Andre and Patchai Reyes are sons of the flamenco singer Jose Reyes. The Gipsy Kings are:

  • Nicolas Reyes: lead vocals, guitar
  • Paul Reyes: backup vocals, guitar
  • François "Canut" Reyes: backup vocals, guitar
  • Patchai Reyes: backup vocals, guitar
  • André Reyes: backup vocals, guitar
  • Diego Baliardo: guitar
  • Paco Baliardo: guitar
  • Tonino Baliardo: lead guitar

Jahloul Chico Bouchikhi was also a member of the Gipsy Kings, but quit after the album Mosaïque and the tour supporting it. He had issues with the album's producers, which the other band members did not back. Bouchikhi, a co-founder of the band, lost the Gipsy Kings trademark. (He claims to have registered it after coming up with the name.) He founded a band of his own called "Chico and the Gypsies".

Discography [link]

References [link]

  1. ^ Matthews, Janie (February 23, 1989). "Gipsy Kings". Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/118881/review/5940758?utm_source=Rhapsody&utm_medium=CDreview.jhtml. Retrieved 2007-07-04. 
  2. ^ "Gipsy Kings - Djobi Djoba (Videoclip)". YouTube. 2007-04-29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVb5araL39k&feature=related. Retrieved 2012-05-15. 
  3. ^ "Gipsy Kings - Bamboleo (Videoclip)". YouTube. 2007-04-29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTrIFMVKQD8&feature=related. Retrieved 2012-05-15. 

External links [link]

Gipsy Kings
Albums
1980s Studio Albums
1990s Studio Albums
2000s Studio Albums
Hit Songs

https://wn.com/Gipsy_Kings

Gipsy Kings (album)

Gipsy Kings is the third album by the French Rumba Catalana band Gipsy Kings, which was released in 1987. The album was their first to reach a worldwide audience, going gold across France, the UK, USA and other countries. The US and European versions of this album are identical except in some cases the song order may differ. The Japanese version released in 1995 includes an alternate version of "Vamos A Bailar" from their latest albums. The song "Inspiration" from this album famously appeared in the season five episode of Miami Vice, "World Of Trouble", in June 1988.

Track listing

Japanese Bonus Tracks

Charts and certifications

See also

  • List of best-selling Latin albums in the United States

    • References

    External links

  • Gipsy Kings at Discogs
  • Gipsy Kings at gipsykings.net

    • Singles

  • Bamboléo (31 March 1988)
  • Djobi Djoba (25 October 1988)
  • Bem, Bem, Maria (25 February 1989)
  • Un Amor (29 July 1989)
  • Tu Quieres Volver (26 September 1989)
  • A Mi Manera (December 1989)
    • Read more
    This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Gipsy_Kings_(album)

    Podcasts:

    Gipsy Kings

    ALBUMS

    Savor Flamenco

    Released 2013

    The Very Best Of

    Released 2010

    Pasajero

    Released 2006

    Roots

    Released 2004

    Rare & Unplugged

    Released 2003

    Rare & Unplugged

    Released 2003

    Somos gitanos

    Released 2001

    ¡Volaré!: The Very Best of the Gipsy Kings

    Released 2000

    Cantos de amor

    Released 1998

    Compas

    Released 1997

    Tierra gitana

    Released 1996

    The Best of the Gipsy Kings

    Released 1995

    Greatest Hits

    Released 1994

    Love & Liberté

    Released 1993

    Gipsy Kings Live

    Released 1992

    Gipsy Mania

    Released 1991

    Gipsy Collection

    Released 1991

    Este mundo

    Released 1991

    Allegria

    Released 1990

    Live In Los Angeles

    Released 1990

    Luna de Fuego

    Released 1990

    Gipsy Kings

    Released 1988

    Allegria

    Released 1982

    Hit Collection 2000

    Djobi, Djoba

    The Best Of

    Best of Gipsy Kings

    Gipsy Kings

    King Size Hits

    Instrumental Best

    Mosaïque

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    Galaxia

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