The Gipsy Kings sign to Knitting Factory Records for new album Savor Flamenco – released in the US on September 10th 2013, in Europe on October 14th 2013 and in Canada on October 22nd 2013. This album will be their first new recording in 7 years and marks the band’s 25th anniversary. The band have planned shows throughout the US and Europe including a headline at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles on August 3rd 2013 and the legendary Royal Albert Hall in London on February 20th 2014.
Review:
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.
All Music Guide – Thom Jurek