Interview with Gipsy Kings for Songlines
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"%')..%2¢3'5)$% In their early 90s heyday Band of brothers – the Reyes and Baliardos "%34 !,"5-3 Allegria (Elektra, 1982) The first album the Gipsy Kings released under their own name. Primarily a collection of more traditional flamenco- style pieces – its acoustic guitars, voices and handclaps doesn’t portend the epic productions that would follow. The Gipsy Kings (Sony, 1988) The disc that introduced the Gipsy Kings and their brand of rumba flamenco to the world. Think rhythmic guitars, passionate wailing and syncopated palmas within everything from percussive romps to plaintive melodies. Includes two of the band’s biggest hits, ‘Djobi Djoba’ and ‘Bamboleo’. Mosaïque (Elektra, 1989) With its sly use of kit drums and synthesizers, Mosaïque introduces outside genres and instrumentation to the night long,” Nicolas has recalled. “We wanted the Kings their signature sound – his basic flamenco mix. Here is rai fusion, jazzy guitar riffs, to do the same and begged our older brothers gruff and powerful flamenco voice echoing Cuban flavours and – with the first appearance of ‘Volare’ to teach us.” Not having their own guitars as that of his father’s. Other musicians rated – a bit of Italian song. kids means that the left-handed members of them: Eric Clapton allegedly took strumming the group still play guitars strung upside down tips from guitarist Tonino Baliardo. And Roots (Sony, 2004) – the legacy of playing a right hander’s guitar while flamenco musicians such as Paco de Just as it says on the tin. After a decade’s worth of over- the wrong way up. Lucía appealed to select audiences with purer produced, session-muso heavy albums, the Kings kiss After José’s death in 1979, the Reyes played forms of flamenco fusion, the Kings were their extravagant production values goodbye and go back rumba flamenco at Roma parties and on slick and eminently danceable. They even had to whence they began on this excellent acoustic album street corners, partly because “we liked to a live light show worthy of a stadium outfit (reviewed in #24). watch the pretty girls dance.” Gitanos like (actually, they were a stadium outfit). One of José Reyes had been mixing rumba rhythms the first acts to cash in on the US’ growing Pasajero (Tinto Tinta/Sony BMG, 2006) with flamenco since the 1950s, deploying Hispanic population, the album Gipsy Kings Old habits die hard: here, once again, is the Kings’ stayed in the American charts for a staggering polished sound with its big drums, dub bass and 40 weeks on its release in 1989. electronic programming and percussion. Having pleased They are, simply, the The Kings’ stock riposte to purists who the purists with Roots, Pasajero (featuring splashes of most successful world question their fusion (and by association everything from reggae to mariachi and Cuban son) sent them soaring back music act ever. So there. their authenticity) is that Gypsies have always up the charts (reviewed in #40). fused all kinds of music. In the way that, say, Salif Keita or Youssou N’Dour maintain their 4/!6/)$ rhythmic strumming alongside raw, jagged African roots within an electronic setting, Este Mundo (Columbia, 1991) vocals and the palmas of their Spanish so do the Gipsy Kings keep a firm hold on Released the same year the Kings lent their flamenco heritage. One evening, jamming around a the music their grandfathers made around a backing to Bananarama’s version of ‘Long Train Running’ Camargue campfire at the annual Saintes- campfire. Despite the occasional struggle to and when they appeared as one of several acts on a Maries-de-la-Mer gitan pilgrimage, the keep things burning, the Kings rejuvenated compilation of new versions of songs from Disney films, ')039+).'3 Reyes discovered kindred spirits in another themselves with 2004’s inspired, pared-down Simply Mad About The Mouse (rumba flamenco-fied ‘I’ve They may have hit their chart-topping zenith in the guitar-playing band of brothers – their Roots album (reviewed in #24) and have Got No Strings’ from Pinocchio – enough said). Not their greatest year. 80s but France’s flamenco-pop sensation are still cousins the Baliardos (Diego, Paco and stayed caliente ever since. going strong, as Jane Cornwell discovers Tonino). Together, they began creating more They are, they say, contributing to the pop oriented songs. Being Gypsies and kings evolution of flamenco rumba, to the lifeblood )&9/5,)+%')039+).'3 fter more than 30 years of collective belts, the eight-piece Gipsy Kings and André grew up on a campsite in Arles, they changed their name accordingly. and spirit of a proud yet beleaguered people. 4(%.429 playing together, the Gipsy have surpassed even the kerching-ing sales southern France. Inauthentic? They are Popular myth has it that Brigitte Bardot Sales of more than 20 million albums testify +!,//-` Kings are impervious to the of The Buena Vista Social Club. They are Gypsies and they are Kings (‘Reyes’), after discovered them busking on the streets to their winning formula, while their current Sin Fronteras gripes of their detractors. household names in the US, Brazil and all. The family had migrated to Arles during of Cannes and asked them to perform project – the soundtrack to an acclaimed UK (Long Distance, 2004) Accusations of musical inauthenticity Japan; they’re mobbed in Australia, Asia the Spanish civil war, but as with any at a celebrity-packed party – when they stage production of Zorro The Musical – only Based amongst the substantial Ashall not weary them. Their penchant and Europe. They are, simply, the most Gypsy encampment dancing, singing and were already playing celebrity packed underlines their determination to follow their population of Catalan Gypsies in the for bouffants, flyaway collars and successful world music act ever. So there. strumming were as much a part of life as parties across the French Riviera. Intent on own unapologetically mainstream path. ● French city of Perpignan, leather trousers remains undiminished. “The narrow minded are everywhere and eating and sleeping. When not scraping a reaching a wider audience, they recruited Kaloomé are a rootsy version of the Gipsy Synthesizers, electric bass and drum kits from everywhere, unfortunately,” singer and living gathering scrap metal or working on a percussionist, bass player, drummer and :ORRO4HE-USICALOQDUHDVR@S,NMCNM¢R Kings, with the distinct advantage of still permeate their wall-of-strum rumba guitar-player Nicolas Reyes has said. “It is the local grape harvest, they accompanied keyboards player – all from outside the '@QQHBJ4GD@SQDEQNL*TMD female vocalist and dancer Sabrina flamenco sound, which they continue to natural and necessary that our music will their father’s traditional flamenco, his cante Gypsy community in the south of France VVVYNQQNSGDLTRHB@KBNL Romero (reviewed in #27). .%%$! fuse with rai, reggae, Cuban son and various develop new sounds with the help of new jondo (deep song) style of vocalising with – and released an album or two; the single VVVFHORXJHMFRBNL '5)$% other genres. The fact that their biggest hit instruments. But our rhythms, guitars and its wailed, rasped lyrics of love and death, ‘Bamboleo’ followed, ‘La Bamba’-ing up the 5QPINKPGU now has single, 1987’s ‘Bamboleo’, is now a staple of voices will always stay.” passion and pain. charts until ubiquitous. Suddenly, in late 80s You can hear excerpts from all the Best... over 30 BeginnerÕs albums (see right) on this issue’s interactive every tapas bar speaker in the free world is It’s how they started, after all. Sons of the “When we were children we were filled with Britain, the Gipsy Kings were hip. Guides archived on sampler: www.songlines.co.uk/interactive/053 CE N our site. Check out taken (probably) as a compliment. great flamenco singer José Reyes, Nicolas wonder while watching our fathers and uncles It was Nicolas Reyes who gave (and gives) Kaloomé’s lead vocalist, dancer and cajón player, www.songlines.co.uk With nearly 20 albums under their Reyes and his brothers Canut, Paul, Patchaï playing, singing and having fun together all Sabrina Romero LONG DISTA 48 Songlines July 2008 July 2008 Songlines 49.