Biography
Gipsy Kings, known for melding traditional flamenco styles with Western pop and Latin rhythm, has been fronted by songwriters and producers Nicolas Reyes and Tonino Baliardo since 1979. ∙ Reyes said they got their name by accident while touring as Los Reyes: “An American woman, after asking us our name and origin, exclaimed, ‘Oh, you are Gipsy Kings!’” ∙ All the original members were related, by blood or marriage, to legendary Gypsy guitarist Ricardo Baliardo, known professionally as Manitas de Plata. ∙ Gipsy Kings, the band’s million-selling US debut, peaked at No. 3 and spent 154 weeks on the charts. ∙ In 2014, they shared the Best World Music Album Grammy Award with Ladysmith Black Mambazo—marking the first-ever tie in that category. ∙ Paste magazine included their cover of “Hotel California” in its 10 Best-Used Songs in Coen Brothers Movies list. ∙ At present, only two of the original members are still in the “official” band, while three other members have split off and tour as The Original Gypsies.