Gipsy Kings - Luna De Fuego

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:31
Size: 85.9 MB
Styles: Flamenco, World fusion
Year: 1983/2013
Art: Front

[4:56] 1. Amor D'un Dia
[3:32] 2. Luna De Fuego
[2:50] 3. Calaverada
[3:04] 4. Galaxia
[4:28] 5. Ruptura
[4:06] 6. Gipsyrock
[4:55] 7. Viento Del Arena
[3:34] 8. Princessa
[2:44] 9. Olvidado
[3:17] 10. Ciento

The Gipsy Kings had major crossover success with their splendid and innovative third album, which used drums, bass, percussion, and synthesizer to beef up the sound. This French import is their first album from 1983, and it is a much more traditional affair, with only acoustic guitars, voices, and hand claps. It shows that artistically the sound did not need to be beefed up; the music is still wonderful. How can an array of seven guitars and full-throated passion not be wonderful? Commercially, the additions to their sound helped break The Gipsy Kings through to a larger audience, but now that their name is known, it should be possible for more people to go back and appreciate this album. It is in no way crude or unpolished, and the artistry and playing are of an equally high quality. ~Rhythm Newsletter

Luna De Fuego mc
Luna De Fuego zippy

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Gipsy Kings - Tierra Gitana

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 48:56
Size: 112.0 MB
Styles: Flamenco, Gipsy rhythms
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[3:43] 1. A Ti A Ti
[4:56] 2. Siempre Acaba Tu Vida
[3:30] 3. Estrellas
[4:28] 4. Mi Corazon
[4:13] 5. Mujer
[3:27] 6. Tierra Gitana
[3:05] 7. Pajarito
[3:16] 8. Los Peces En El Rio
[3:59] 9. Igual Se Entonces
[3:41] 10. Cataluna
[3:10] 11. A Tu Vera
[3:29] 12. Campesino
[3:54] 13. La Rumba De Nicolas

TIERRA GITANA was nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for Best World Music Album. Anyone familiar with the Gipsy Kings' unique sound will find no surprises on Tierra Gitana, their eighth album of original material. All the trademarks are here: the flamenco guitar, the staccato handclaps, the soaring vocals, all set to Latin rhythms. This album has a very relaxed feel; it is pleasant but not very engaging. There is nothing on this disc as immediately accessible as some of the group's earlier successes, like "Bamboleo" or "Baila Me," and for that reason this one isn't recommended for newcomers. Start with The Best Of, then, if you want to buy this, you'll know exactly what you're getting. ~ Steve McMullen

Recorded at Studio Miraval, Miraval, France and Right Track Studios, New York, New York.

Nicolas Reyes (vocals); Francois Canut Reyes, Patchai Reyes (guitar, vocals); Tonino Baliardo, Paul Reyes, Paco Baliardo, Diego Baliardo (guitar); Georges Reyes (acoustic guitar); Laurent De Gasperis (electric guitar, mandolin); Lelia Sakai, Vinh Pham (violin); Frederic Gondot (viola); Yves Bouillier (cello); Nasredine Dalil (flute); Richard Galliano (accordion); Anibal Kerpel (keyboards, bass); Dominique Droin, Francois Kallos (keyboards); Gerard Prevost (acoustic bass, bass); Negrito Trasante-Crocco (drums, cajon, timbales, percussion); Manu Katche (drums); Rodolfo Pacheco Jimenez (congas, bongos, darbouka, percussion).

Tierra Gitana

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Gipsy Kings - Savor Flamenco

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 38:36
Size: 88.4 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz, Latin rhythms
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:30] 1. Caramelo
[3:30] 2. Bye Bye (Ella Me Dice Vay)
[3:08] 3. Como L'agua
[3:38] 4. Tiempo Sel Sol
[3:48] 5. Me Voy
[3:51] 6. Fairies Melody
[3:10] 7. Samba Samba
[3:28] 8. Corazon
[3:39] 9. Savor Flamenco
[3:37] 10. Sueno
[3:10] 11. Habla Contingo

It has been seven long years since France's groundbreaking Gipsy Kings have issued a recording of new material. Savor Flamenco, the group's debut for Knitting Factory, still features the band's original lineup of two groups of brothers -- the Reyes (Nicolas, Canut, Paul, Patchai, and Andre) and the Baliardos (Tonino, Paco, and Diego) -- with guest players filling out the cast. The set was produced by Tonino Baliardo and Nicolas Reyes. Musically, Savor Flamenco looks simultaneously backward and forward. The single "Samba Samba" commences with a breezy bossa nova before spiraling out, wedding both fiery flamenco and driving Brazilian samba. The tune dates to the years before the band ever recorded. While this arrangement has been updated to reflect the group's garnered knowledge of Brazilian folk and pop forms, it's still raw and immediate. Bossa and samba also inform the striking instrumental "Tiempo del Sol," as jazzy flamenco is complemented by organic percussion and Stephane Chausse's brilliant flute improvisation, and the burning opener "Caramelo," which is driven by forro and carnival rhythms. "Me Voy" is modern flamenco, embellished by an acoustic piano and Bernard Paganotti's upright bass playing. For those who love the Kings' traditional meld of pop-nuevo flamenco, tracks such as "Como L'Agua" and "Corazon" should satisfy -- though the latter is influenced by Brazilian MPB as well. Not everything works quite so well, however, as the instrumental "Fairies Melody" and the ballad "Sueño" both feel too polished and slight in comparison to everything else here. Thankfully, a slicker approach isn't always a bad thing. Closer "Habla Contiguo" weds Latin son, flamenco, and acoustic pop for a successful finish -- it also features one of Tonino Baliardo's finest guitar solos on the album. Other than two (slight) missteps, Savor Flamenco marks a welcome return for the progenitors of nuevo flamenco. ~ Thom Jurek

Andre Reyes, Nicolás Reyes, Patchai Reyes, Canut Reyes (vocals, guitar); Francis Cabrel (vocals); Diego Baliardo, Paco Baliardo, Paul Reyes, Tonino Baliardo (guitar); Bernard Paganotti (upright bass); Rodolfo Pacheco Jimenez (percussion). Recording information: Studio Ephemere; Studio Ferber, Paris.

Savor Flamenco

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Gipsy Kings - Roots

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 57:09
Size: 130.8 MB
Styles: European traditions, Flamenco, Gypsy
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[4:37] 1. Aven, Aven
[4:10] 2. Legende
[1:27] 3. Fandango (Patchai)
[4:34] 4. Bolerias
[4:08] 5. Rhythmic
[3:20] 6. Como Siento Yo
[3:43] 7. Amigo
[2:54] 8. Tarantas
[2:36] 9. Fandango (Nicolas)
[3:20] 10. Boogie
[3:11] 11. Nuages
[3:23] 12. Como Ayer
[5:55] 13. Soledad
[3:05] 14. Tampa
[3:01] 15. Hermanos
[3:35] 16. Petite Noya

On ROOTS, the Gipsy Kings deliver on the promise suggested by the title, completely forgoing the synthesizers, bass guitars, and drum kits that have added a contemporary touch to many of the ensemble's previous releases. Instead, the group has gone back to basics in grand style, not only concentrating on the purity of acoustic instrumentation, but also playing with a fire and passion rarely heard in modern music of any genre.

Though nearly all the 16 songs here are self-penned (the odd man out being a composition by the legendary gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt), they sound utterly timeless, as if the group were channeling the material directly from the vintage black & white photos that grace the album's stunning packaging. The emotionally charged vocals of Nicolas and Canut Reyes are perfectly matched by the fleet-fingered, genre-bending lead guitar of Tonino Baliardo throughout, and the album's sound quality is absolutely pristine. One of several high-water marks in an accomplished career, ROOTS is recommended to anyone desirous of the glorious rapture only afforded by the purest of music.

Nicolás Reyes (vocals, guitar, palmas); Andre Reyes (vocals, guitar, background vocals); Canut Reyes (vocals, guitar); Paco Baliardo, Tonino Baliardo (guitar, palmas); Yacouba Sissoko (kora); Garth Hudson (accordion); Greg Cohen (double bass); Cyro Baptista (washboard, shaker, percussion); Diego Baliardo (palmas).

Recording information: Le Mas De Gourgoubes, St-ANdre-De-Bueges, France (06/09/2003-06/26/2003).

Roots

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