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The Gipsy Kings are a group from Arles and Montpellier in France. Their parents fled from Spain during the Spanish Civil War. They are Calé (Gypsy) musicians, best known for bringing Rumba Catalana, a pop-oriented version of traditional flamenco music to mainstream audiences, a kind of Rumba Flamenca. Many songs of the Gipsy Kings fit social dances, such as Samba, Salsa and Rumba.
They became popular with their album, self titled Gipsy Kings, which included the songs "Djobi Djoba", "Bamboleo" and "Un Amor". The song "Volare" on their second album Mosaique is a rumba version of Domenico Modugno's Italian hit "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu". The Gipsy Kings were enormously popular in France despite harsh criticism from flamenco purists. Gipsy Kings was successful throughout Europe, especially France and the UK. In 1989, Gipsy Kings was released in the United States and it spent 40 weeks on the charts, one of very few Spanish language albums to do so. Their cover version of "Hotel California" is an excellent example of fast classical guitar leads and flamenco strumming (this version was featured in the Coen Brothers' movie The Big Lebowski). In 1991 the Gipsy Kings provided flamenco guitar and backing vocals on Bananarama's version of "Long Train Running", using the pseudonym "Alma de Noche" ("Soul of the Night").
The Gipsy Kings are members of two related families: the Reyes and the Baliardos (Reyes means Kings in Spanish). They are cousins of the flamenco great Manitas de Plata. Lead vocalist Nicolas Reyes is the son of flamenco great Jose Reyes. The Gipsy Kings are:
Nicolas Reyes: lead vocals, guitar Pablo Reyes: backup vocals, guitar Canut Reyes: backup vocals, guitar Patchai Reyes: backup vocals, guitar Andre Reyes: guitar/vocals Diego Baliardo: guitar Paco Baliardo: guitar Tonino Baliardo: lead guitar
