Latin American beats had been joined with flamenco by gitanos since at least the 1950s, mixing complex strumming with rhythmic, percussive tapping on their guitars' tops. The new Reyes generation — soon to meet and join up with three guitar-playing brothers from the Baliardo family — began creating more pop-oriented songs. They played at roma parties and at street corners until they got their chance to record under the group's new name, Gipsy Kings.
Sharp-eyed individuals might have noted that all the left-handed members of the group play guitars strung upside-down; this is usually as a result of the individuals' not having their own guitars when growing-up. Borrowing and playing a right-hander's the wrong way up was the only way to learn.
Band's story
They became popular with their self-titled first album, Gipsy Kings, which included the songs "Djobi Djoba ", "Bamboleo " and the romantic ballad "Un Amor". The song "Volare" on their second album Mosaique is a rumba version of Domenico Modugno's Italian hit "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu". The Gipsy Kings were enormously popular in France and throughout Europe along with the middle east. In 1989, Gipsy Kings was released in the United States and it spent 40 weeks on the charts, one of very few Spanish language albums to do so. Their cover version of "Hotel California" is an excellent example of fast flamenco guitar leads and rhythmic strumming (this version was featured in the Coen Brothers' movie The Big Lebowski).
In 1991 the Gipsy Kings provided flamenco guitar and backing vocals on Bananarama's version of "Long Train Running", using the pseudonym "Alma de Noche" ("Soul of the Night"). Also in '91, for a multi-artist project called "Simply Mad About the Mouse" — a compilation of new versions of songs from Disney films — the Kings contributed an annaly-crafted, fast-paced rumba flamenca version of "I've Got No Strings" from "Pinocchio" - replete with feverish flamenco guitar leads and rhythmic hand-claps (palmas). The lyrics' enthusiasm for freedom, not being tied down, fit the gipsy creed perfectly.
Their 1993 album "Love and Liberte" won the Latin Grammy Award for "Best Pop Album of the Year," and contained the enduring song "Montana," an emotional account of Roma chased from their birthplace by prejudice and persecution.
The '95 compilation "The Best of the Gipsy Kings" went platinum, staying on the charts more than one year. Albums "Mosaïque," "Allegria," "Este Mundo," "Gipsy Kings Live," "Love & Liberte," "Tierra Gitana," "Cantos de Amor" and "Volare! - the Very Best of the Gipsy Kings" went gold.
Lead guitarist Tonino Baliardo — who has always written the group's instrumentals — released his first solo album, Essences, in 2001; a second self-titled one followed in 2003.
Flamenco purists criticized their use of drum kits, electronic bass, and electronic keyboards and rock and reggae beats. Defenders say they helped create a new style.
Gipsy Kings' total album sales worldwide now exceed 18 million; they toured worldwide again in 2007. They are the world's best-selling music group from France in history, according to their website, where dates and places of their current tour can be found.
Years active: from 1987 till present.
Members
Gipsy Kings are members of two related families: the Reyes and the Baliardos (Reyes means Kings in Spanish). They are cousins of the flamenco great Manitas de Plata, lead guitarist Tonino Baliardo married his granddaughter. Nicolas, Canut, Paul, Andre and Patchai Reyes are sons of flamenco singer Jose Reyes. The Gipsy Kings are:
Nicolas Reyes: lead vocals, guitar
Paul Reyes: backup vocals, guitar
Canut Reyes: backup vocals, guitar
Patchai Reyes: backup vocals, guitar
Andre Reyes: backup vocals, guitar
Diego Baliardo: guitar
Paco Baliardo: guitar
Tonino Baliardo: lead guitar
Chico Bouchikhi was also a member of the Gipsy Kings, but quit after the album Mosaique.
Amor de un dia
Gipsy Kings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Volvere de un amor de su dia
cantare de su amor existia
yo te di un amor es mi vida
para cantar
el amor empenado
que todo yo amo por vivir y cantar
que no te encuentro la felicidad
que no quererte nuestro amor de ti
solo te encuentras para ti
Yo te di un amor en el fondo de mi vida
para cantarllorando de mi despedido
yo te di en el fondo de mi vida
llorado, llorado un adios
yo te di en el fondo de mi vida cantar
recuerda de noche y dia
yo te di en el fondo de mi vida
llorando triste de verdad
***********************translated text***********
I will return from a love of a day
I will sing that this love used to exist
I gave you a love that is my life
To sing
The pained love
That I love everything to live and sing
That I don't find happiness in you
That not loving you our love
You only find for yourself
I gave you a love in the depths of my life
To sing and cry about my leaving
I gave you in the depths of my love
Crying, crying a goodbye
I gave you in the depths of my life to sing
a remebrance of night and day
I gave you in the depths of my life
Crying truly sad.
The song "Amor Dun Dia" by Gipsy Kings is a lamentation about a love that existed only for a day. The persona in the song seems to be regretful that they gave their all to this fleeting love that didn't bring them happiness. The lines "que no te encuentro la felicidad" and "que no quererte nuestro amor de ti" suggest that the persona couldn't find happiness with this love, and their feelings were unrequited. The persona feels that they poured their heart out in the brief time they had with the love interest, but it was all in vain.
The chorus "yo te di un amor en el fondo de mi vida para cantar" is repeated severally throughout the song, and it means "I gave you a love in the depths of my life to sing." This line suggests that the love was significant to the persona and was invested in it, but it didn't pay off. The line "llorado, llorado un adios" can be translated as "crying, crying a goodbye" and signifies that the persona in the song is deeply heartbroken and emotional that the love they thought would last had ended. The song's mournful and melancholic tone is complemented by the guitar riffs and the group's traditional Spanish vocal style.
Line by Line Meaning
Volvere de un amor de su dia
I will return from a short-lived love affair.
cantare de su amor existia
I will sing about a love that once existed.
yo te di un amor es mi vida para cantar
I gave you a love that is my life to cherish.
el amor empenado que todo yo amo por vivir y cantar
The passionate love that I adore and live for to sing about.
que no te encuentro la felicidad que no quererte nuestro amor de ti
I cannot find happiness in loving you and our love is no longer mutual.
solo te encuentras para ti
You only seek your own happiness.
Yo te di un amor en el fondo de mi vida para cantar
I gave you a love that is in the depths of my life to sing about.
llorando de mi despedido yo te di en el fondo de mi vida
Crying over our farewell, I gave you in the depths of my life.
llorado, llorado un adios yo te di en el fondo de mi vida cantar
I gave you in the depths of my life songs of tears and goodbye.
recuerda de noche y dia yo te di en el fondo de mi vida
Remember day and night that I gave you my life's love.
llorando triste de verdad
Crying with a truly sad heart.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: FRANCOIS REYES, JAHLOUL BOUCHIKHI, MAURICE BALIARDO, NICHOLAS REYES, PATCHAI REYES, PAUL REYES, TONINO BALIARDO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Recep Halil Gültekin
on Un Amor
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