Gipsy Kings play Lynn Auditorium Jan. 23

LYNN – The Gipsy Kings bring their 25th anniversary tour in support of their new album, ?Savor Flamenco,’ to Lynn Auditorium for a single performance on Jan. 23.?Savor Flamenco’ is the group’s first new release in six years. The project marks The Gipsy Kings’ 25th anniversary of their first U.S. release, Gipsy Kings in 1987. It is also the first time in the group’s storied career that the Kings have produced themselves and written all of their material.Based on the Mediterranean Sea in France, The Gipsy Kings are made up of two families – the Reyes Brothers (lead singer/guitarist Nicolas, vocalist/guitarist François “Canut,” vocalist/guitarist Paul, vocalist/guitarist Patchai and vocalist/guitarist Andre) of Arles, and the Baliardos (lead guitarist Tonino, guitarist Paco and guitarist Diego) from Montpellier. The father of the Reyes brothers and uncle of the Baliardos brothers are flamenco superstars Jose Reyes and Manitas de Plata, who toured together in the 1960s. There is music by Manitas de Plata y Jose Reyes on youtube. Their fans included Miles Davis and Pablo Picasso.When the fathers parted ways, Jose Reyes became even more popular after starting his own band, Los Reyes. His sons backed him up. When the elder Reyes passed away in 1979, Nicolas and Andre began playing with the Baliardo brothers in Arles. They traveled, busking nearby on the streets of Cannes, playing weddings, parties, festivals. “Los Reyes” means “The Kings,” and the band changed their name to The Gipsy Kings.The Gipsy Kings’ musical style has been called “Rumba Flamenca” which allows The Gipsy Kings to combine traditional flamenco styles with Western Pop and Latin rhythms, Latin and Cuban styles, Arabic, reggae, jazz, and – of course – gypsy styles.The band speaks French, and performs music in Spanish dialect of Gitane, the native Gipsy language, that is a mixture of Spanish, French and Catalan. The root of the Gitane culture is in the southern part of Spain that includes Seville and Granada. One of the economically depressed areas of Europe, this region has given the world flamenco music, bullfighting and Moorish-influenced Architecture. The people in that area are known as “Gitanos,” Spanish Romani people who fled Catalonia during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). (The term “gitano” comes from “Egiptano,” a Spanish term for “Egyptian” as the English word “Gypsy” comes from “Egyptian.”)The Gipsy Kings have sold over 25 million albums worldwide.