Gipsy Kings 2008
February 25, 2008 at Radio City Music Hall
2008 Tour
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.
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. 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. 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).
