In royal harmony

Nicolas Reyes of the Gipsy Kings spells out the group's philosophy

The Gipsy Kings had Dubai on its feet dancing The night away at the Aviation Club last week. Born performers and in the business for as long as most of us can remember, they proved that age really doesn't diminish or affect the true artistes. To state simply, it was a truly spectacular concert.

The group belted out a mix of favourite oldies, from the ever-replayed Bamboleo, which made them the worldwide success they are today, to the new songs that are of equal brilliance in both style and lyrics. Only a band as confident as this can get away with not having a troupe of backup dancers, assured in the knowledge that the audience is purely interested in the magical sounds of their acoustic guitars alone.

Lead vocalist and the matriarch of the group, Nicolas Reyes spoke to Gulf News about Dubai, life and music:

Karim Bassatne: Are you pleased to be back in the Emirates?
Nicolas Reyes: Yes, it's a beautiful country. I first came to this region 25 years ago when I played at a time before the Gipsy Kings were officially formed with some friends. It was so long ago that I can't even remember the name we had given to that band at the time.

The country has evolved enormously, it's magnificent. When I first got here there was a lot of desert, now Dubai rivals any major cosmopolitan city in the world easily. Also here you have the bonus of great weather even though it does get pretty hot. But it sure beats the cold.

Where does the name Gipsy Kings come from?
Reyes, our family name, translated means Kings. Our music is very much in the Gipsy style so we eventually became the Gipsy Kings.

The band is made up of two families, how did you get together?
The Reyes and the Baliardos are cousins. The Reyes are the singers and the Baliardos are the guitarists. We have been together pretty much forever since we were kids. We have played music together and grown up together.

Who writes the music?
I write the music at home. The words come from or rather are a reflection of my life and my perception of life. I like to write about life and people, the beauty of music, dancing and movement.

Once the lyrics are down, I pass them on to the other band members and each one, depending on their speciality, will start to develop the song from their end. Then we get together and basically create the song.

When you are not performing what do you do?
When I am not performing I am composing. The rest of the band are also constantly working. Don't forget once you've finished a tour or just a performance, you invariably need rest. So we rest a while and then get back to work. Finding new songs that are different. We have a hectic schedule, though. This year alone we have toured in the U.S., performed in the UK and Japan.

Your music has created a huge fan base in the Middle East. What do you think of it?
There is a similarity between the two styles of music. We have always appreciated playing in the Arab region for that particular reason. The people relate to our style and seemingly enjoy it.

How do you explain your enduring popularity?
Our worldwide popularity started from our first album. Bamboleo and Djobe Djoba in particular were huge hits not only on both sides of the Atlantic but across the world including this region and Australia.

When is your next album going to be released?
Our new album will be out next year.

What can one expect from the new album?
The same style, obviously there will also be differences but predominately it's the same beat to the music with lots of acoustic guitars. We haven't given the album a name as yet. We are still experimenting and hope to get into the recording studio soon.

Has success altered your life?
Success has not changed me. My family has always been the most important factor in my life and that in itself keeps me grounded.