It will be a night to remember as Grammy award-winning band Gipsy Kings, featuring Manolo — one of the most celebrated vocalists, puts up a performance at Hard Rock Cafe, Pune, this evening. The power-packed group of flamenco, salsa and pop musicians from Arles and Montpellier in the south of France will be belting out some international hits like Bamboleo, Yobi Yoba, Volare, among others. Taking the audience on a rhythmic ride, they will set the energy high with flamenco guitars and booming Spanish vocals.
The Gipsy Kings have sold millions of albums over the course of 25 years. They are the king of flamenco, rumba and salsa music, and have travelled the world to share their passion for music with millions of fans. Here’s chatting up Manolo...
What do you think makes your band a hit among generations for more than two decades?
We may speak gypsy, Espanola, and French at home but we are bonded by the same culture — music, and we give our 100 per cent to our audience. A lot of time, the audience may not understand our language but we share the same emotions.
How has the music scene changed in the last two decades?
Music keeps changing but we haven’t. We may just modernise a bit but we stay gypsy.
You have ventured into producing your album and songwriting too. Tell us about that, and what is your inspiration behind your lyrics?
I take inspiration from daily life. I translate my life experiences and reflections into my favourite language — music. My children and friends are also a great source of inspiration. My working process is ambivalent. Sometimes, I have a melody or rhythm in mind that can be best imagined when I take a shower and murmur a melody. At other times, I have a story to tell so I grab my guitar and play chords that can express my feelings in the tale.
You perform in Spanish and yet there is a universal connect with your songs. What do you think makes Gipsy Kings so relatable?
We have a mix of everything — be it rock, Indo or Oriental. There are no borders, we adapt to our surroundings. Our style is a combination of gypsy rock, gypsy modern and rumba.
What role does technology and social media play in music?
Technology definitely has a role to play in music. During the start of our career, there were very few ways to make music, record it and make it reach people. Today, due to technology and social media, making music and making it available to audiences across the globe have become easier.
Tell us about your upcoming performance in Pune and other upcoming projects?
We will be performing in India, Japan, and Korea. We are delighted to be in India and party with all you guys at Hard Rock Cafe, Pune. We are happy that we have a new concert with new singers (my son is also part of the group) and a new album, which will be released worldwide soon.
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The Gipsy Kings will perform at Hard Rock Cafe, on January 12, 8.30 pm onwards. For tickets, visit www.bookmyshow.com
