CONCERTS: Sign of the Gipsy Kings
Their lively flamenco rhythms have provided the soundtrack to countless love affairs negotiated in coffee shops around the world. They bewitch the unwary listener with a splendor of Latin guitar goodness from ear to shining ear. They have been called the sound of “pure Corinthian leather.”
Of course we’re talking about the Gipsy Kings, who return to perform at the Winspear Centre on Tuesday, Aug. 25. Tickets are $65.50 to $90.50 and go on sale Friday at the Winspear box office. They’re touring in support of their latest Grammy-winning album, Savor Flamenco – “Savor Flamenco” in English.
From roots as the classiest group of street performers ever – Cannes and St. Tropez are just two spots they busked near their home in the South of France – this group of gifted Gitanos scored a global smash with Bamboléo in 1987 and has since defined the genre of “world music.” Their songs are featured in countless feature films, often as the background to love affairs in coffee shops, and have sold more than 20 million albums. In concert, including at the Edmonton folk fest in 2011, these guys always bring down the house with lively Latinized interpretations of popular rock standards such as Hotel California by the Eagles, by way of a musical process known as “rumbafication.” For as everyone knows, any song is better as a rumba.
