Gipsy Kings keep it in the family
orld music superstars the Gipsy Kings have dubbed their 2015 global trek their 25th Anniversary Tour.
But the remarkable history of the group, who have sold more than 20 million albums and are the highest- selling artists in French music history, goes back decades before the release of the 1988 eponymous album that rocketed them to fame.
The seven-piece band rose from obscurity in the humble surroundings of gypsy encampments in the south of France. They are the sons of famous early-60s flamenco singer Jose Reyes and his legendary cousin, guitarist Ricardo Baliardo, whose stage name was Manitas de Plata or Little Hands of Silver.
“We have all been playing with each other and our families all our lives,” lead guitarist Tonino Baliardo explains.
The ensemble’s name in Spanish is Los Gitanos Reyes, a combination of the Reyes brothers, their Baliardo cousins and the gypsy tribe’s name. The Gipsy Kings’ membership has remained essentially unchanged since the mid-70s.
“We started playing in our homes and then on the streets in the south of France, at gypsy festivals in the area and then to clubs playing with families and friends,” Baliardo says. “It was a great time in life to be doing that. Fun at every step of the way. We learnt so much from those times, it really made us who we are.”
The Gipsy Kings’ signature sound, derived from traditional Catalan flamenco guitar playing, handclapping and raw, jagged vocals set to a pop song structure, came to worldwide attention in 1988 with their eponymous third album featuring the hits Djobi Djoba, Bamboleo and Un Amour. The album spent 40 weeks on the US charts, an incredible achievement for a Spanish- language album.
“We feel there is something that needs to be represented every night when we go out and play or when we make a record and that is to keep our culture very much represented in what we do,” Baliardo says.
After more than 25 years of Grammy Awards, gold and platinum albums, numerous compilation records and famous covers of the Eagles’ Hotel California and Randy Newman’s You’ve Got a Friend in Me, they are still very much a family affair.
“Our families have been there for us every step of the way,” Baliardo says. “We have always worked with our families, bringing in different relatives and friends, which is why there’s little pressure on us from the outside.”
Gipsy Kings play the Riverside Theatre on April 13. Tickets from Ticketek.
