Majestic Musicians

All the members of the Gipsy Kings are from two related families: the Reyeses and the Ballardos. They are all cousins of flamenco artist Manitas de Plata. Their parents fled Spain during the Civil War. Best known for Rumba Catalana, they have brought a pop style of flamenco music to audiences worldwide.

They all started out singing cante jondo (deep song) which is traditional flamenco with very heavy themes like love and death. They shifted over to rumba flamenco simply because they “liked to watch pretty girls dance,” according to their own words. An interesting to note is the left-handed players of the band play with guitars strung upside down. This is was because most of them could only borrow guitars for right-handed players when they were learning to play.

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They rose to popularity with their self-titled debut album. But they are perhaps best known for “Volare” off their second album Mosaique. It is a rumba version of “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu,” by Domenico Modugno. They are very popular in France and the Middle East. They have also had great success in the United States as well with their music spending considering time on the mainstream charts. With sales over 18 million albums worldwide, it is not hard to see why. They have an appeal that transcends geographical boundaries and language differences. With the urgent beat of the flamenco running in their veins, these cousins are destined to continue to bring vibrant music to the rest of the world.

Popularity: 80% [?]