Dates/Times:    Tuesday, February 13, 2007; 7:30PM, MSU Concert Auditorium

Tickets:            $43.00 and $63.00

Box Office:       www.whartoncenter.com

517.432.2000, 1.800.WHARTON

EAST LANSING: The Gipsy Kings are that rare thing—a household name famous solely for their music.  Since the 1987 release of the international hit single “Bamboleo,” from their platinum selling debut album, the Gipsy Kings have dominated the World Music charts and sold more than 14 million albums worldwide.

The Gipsy Kings are to release their latest album in the U.S. in January, which is titled Pasajero.  This album celebrates their heritage and is very much a product of the South of France’s cultural flux. Across the albums 14 tracks one can hear raw flamenco, jazzy guitar, Latin rhythms, Cuban pop, even traces of reggae and Arabic music weave together.  You can experience it first hand, for one night only, on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 when the Gipsy Kings perform in the newly renovated MSU Concert Auditorium.

The Gipsy Kings consist of two bands of brothers: the Reyes (Nicolas, Canut, Paul, Patchai, Andre) and the Baliardos (Tonino, Paco, Diego).  The Reyes and Bailardo boys were the offspring of Spanish Gypsy families that had fled into France to escape Spain’s Civil War.  They grew up roaming the south of France, working harvests and making music.

José Reyes, the boy’s father, sang alongside guitarist Manitas de Plata and did much to popularize flamenco internationally: John Steinbeck, Charlie Chaplin, Pablo Picasso, Miles Davis and Salvador Dali were amongst the duo’s admirers.  José split from Manitas in the 1970s and formed Los Reyes with his teenage sons.  His death devastated the Reyes yet led to their fortuitous encounter with the Baliardos brothers.  On that warm night, as they passed the guitar, shared songs and wine, history was shaped.

Today, the Gipsy Kings still live with their families in the south of France.  Life may have changed for them, but still, at heart, they remain Gypsies, the proud descendants of an ancient people who seduced the world with music and dance.  On Pasajero, the Gipsy Kings continue their epic musical journey.