‘HISTORIA’ TO BE RELEASED ON MAY 15TH –
THE FIRST SINGLE, ‘SEÑORITA,’ IS OUT NOW
| The Grammy Award-winning Gipsy Kings and their leader/founder Tonino Baliardo broke the mold with their self-titled album back in 1987. It was a time when the US and UK charts were almost completely devoid of non-English language songs, and especially music that was inspired and informed by the rich tapestry of world music from the preceding decades. Subsequent albums such as ‘Mosaïque’ and ‘Este Mundo’ continued their success, leading to 25 million album sales, in excess of 2 billion streams, and sold-out shows at prestigious concert halls across the world. Adorning their core flamenco sound with Latin influences, a pop accessibility, and touches of reggae and jazz, their cultural impact resulted in them featuring on the soundtracks to ‘Toy Story 3,’ ‘The Big Lebowski,’ and ‘Entourage.’ They’ve also played to all manner of legendary figures, including Brigitte Bardot, Charlie Chaplin and Tony Curtis. All these years later, Tonino Baliardo and the Gipsy Kings family (featuring his sons Cosso and Mikeal) are still burning bright—as shown with their legendary Glastonbury 2024 set. Almost forty years since their breakthrough, their story continues—with music as electrifying and life-affirming as ever—with the news that they will release the new album ‘Historia’ on May 15th. They launch the album by sharing the lead single, ‘Señorita.’ Listen HERE. Tonino Baliardo’s inimitable and instantly recognizable flamenco guitar sets the tone in a celebratory mood as ‘Señorita’ fires up. That classic Gipsy King sound is defined by a rich, passionate baritone lead vocal as well as rhythms both vigorous and sensual. It’s a song that evocatively transports you to the roots of the Gypsy music tradition—a skill that the Gipsy Kings have always delivered quite unlike anyone else. Tonino Baliardo says, ““I am delighted that ‘Señorita’ is going to be the first single taken from our forthcoming album ‘Historia.’ Music and dance are a fundamental part of Gypsy culture. As a child I spent many hours with Gipsy families and my own, playing our guitars, singing with the young girls dancing, and enjoying that special moment. It has been an idea for a few years to write a song with a strong rhythm and joyful chorus to capture those early wonderful memories of my youth. It fits perfectly into the ‘Historia’ album, as it reflects the many influences and ideas on the new record.” While the boisterous exuberance of ‘Señorita’ is equalled by other songs such as ‘El Campo’ and ‘Big Bang,’ ‘Historia’ also pulsates with the eclecticism that is a hallmark of the Gipsy Kings’ experience. The title track translates that frenetic energy into a grandiose, theatrical explosion of Ñic influences, yet ‘La Guerra’ is a beautiful ballad that advocates for peace in the face of unnecessary wars. Tonino Baliardo’s guitar work is the highlight throughout the album, hitting a pop-leaning groove complemented by jazzy piano on ‘Sonador’ or sourcing a beatific euphoria on the instrumental ‘Cielo,’ which was written in memory of Tonino’s brother Paco, who recently passed away. Collectively it keeps the rich, passionate, virtuosic traditions of flamenco music and Catalan Gypsy culture alive. Tonino adds, “I have been recording albums with the Gipsy Kings for over 40 years, so with ‘Historia’ I wanted it to have an adventurous spirit. At the same time ‘Historia’ is about the story of the Gipsy Kings and what happened when ‘Bamboléo’ and ‘Djobi, Djoba’ became global hits. We were ambitious. We knew we were good. But we never expected everything that happened.” ‘Historia’ is now available to pre-order/pre-save HERE. In addition to digital, vinyl, and CD formats, the band’s official store offers an exclusive signed vinyl. Amazon also has exclusive signed CD and vinyl editions. Gipsy Kings featuring Tonino Baliardo will end 2025 by playing a New Year’s Eve show in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Further plans for 2026 include a North American headline tour and the premiere of an eagerly anticipated documentary on the band, which will be released on Amazon Prime. ‘Historia’ tracklist: 1. ‘Señorita’ 2. ‘La Vida’ 3. ‘Historia’ 4. ‘La Guerra’ 5. ‘Primavera’ 6. ‘Caballero’ 7. ‘Cielo’ 8. ‘Soñador’ 9. ‘Hijos Del Viento’ 10. ‘El Campo’ 11. ‘No Soy Rico’ 12. ‘Big Bang’ |
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