Festival goers will get the rare chance to experience the extraordinary Gipsy Kings in their only forthcoming UK performance in 2014 as they take a break from their 25th Anniversary US tour to appear at the Cornbury Music Festival.
The band, famed for its unique rumba flamenco style, won this year’s Grammy for Best World Music Album for Savor Flamenco, after being nominated a record six times, and selling more than 25 million albums worldwide. They became popular internationally with their first album which included the timeless Bamboleo - a song that has become the sound of the summer across the world.
‘We wanted an act that would get the crowd dancing to finish off our traditional Sunday night hooley.’ said Festival Director Hugh Phillimore: ‘We’d been waiting for final confirmation of a British star but at the last minute I decided to jump tracks when offered the Gipsy Kings. In 25 years of festival booking I’ve always wanted to sign them but never had the opportunity, so we are all incredibly excited that they’ve agreed to include us in their 25th anniversary celebrations.’
The Gipsy Kings unite two musical dynasties – the Reyes from Arles and the Baliardos from Montpellier in France. Their music combines traditional flamenco with Western pop and Latin rhythms, along with Arabic, reggae, jazz, and, not surprisingly, gypsy influences. The band performs in the Spanish dialect of Gitane, the native Gipsy language, a mixture of Spanish, French, and Catalan. The root of the Gitane culture is in the southern part of Spain that gave the world flamenco music.
The Gipsy Kings headline the main stage at Cornbury Music Festival on Sunday 6 July topping a star-studded line-up including X Factor 2013 winner Sam Bailey and finalist Luke Friend, and an eclectic cocktail of Caribbean flavoured Kid Creole & The Coconuts, 70s hit-makers 10cc, Japanese Jeff Beck Kill Bill theme tune writer Tomoyasu Hotei and Celtic fusion band Peatbog Faeries.
Friday 4 July features breaking Dublin duo Hudson Taylor, perfect popstars The Feeling, great American troubadour Suzanne Vega, and the creators of Everyday People and Mr Wendal, Arrested Development. Friday night wraps up with the strictly-singing pop diva Sophie Ellis Bextor and national treasure Jools Holland with special guests ex-Spice Girl Melanie C, and Soft Cell’s Marc Almond.
Saturday 5 July sees the return of festival favourite Jon Allen, American blues travellers Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Bruce Springsteen’s fellow New Jersey singer and friend, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes featuring Gary US Bonds, and chart topping Nina Nesbitt. The American invasion continues with Illinois rocker Lissie and Grammy-Award winning country new-girl Kacey Musgraves. Other artists include 60s icon Georgie Fame with Guy Barker’s 16 piece big band, pop-hit makers Scouting for Girls, and Scottish rock legends Simple Minds.
Published on 27 May 2014 by Ben Robinson
