by Cindy McCain
The wonders of wanderlust, The Gipsy Kings, will perform their mix of South American rumba and Spanish flamenco at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center Thursday, April 26, 2012. Founder/vocalist Jose Reyes with guitarist Manitas de Plata wooed worldwide fans including Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Miles Davis, and John Steinbeck. Today their legacy continues as the group’s performances wow live audiences worldwide and fans of Toy Story 3 and Zorro the Musical which feature their music.
Today’s band consists of two families, the Reyes and the Bailiardos, descendants from Spanish gypsies who fled to France during the Spanish Civil War. They first played weddings and parties mixing flamenco with Western pop and Latin rhythms. In 1987 their first album launched their international career. Their rags- to- riches story is best recounted on their website:
Today the Gipsy Kings still live with their families in the south of France. Life may have changed for them – they no longer busk on streets or pick crops when times are hard or travel in caravans – but still, at heart, they remain Gypsies, the proud descendants of an ancient people who seduced the world with music and dance.
For tickets, call 615.687.6400 or go here.
