Gipsy Kings
More than any other band, the Gipsy Kings are responsible for the renewed interest in gypsy music, and this is the album that broke them through to the international mainstream. Although their carefully crafted music is not "pure" gypsy, their impassioned performances create a window for the uninitiated into the deeper world of flamenco and other styles. If you're not a purist, the Gipsy Kings provide powerful, highly contagious, mostly acoustic music that may represent a new form of contemporary gypsy music for the masses; or you can view it as pure pop. This disc lays down their trademark mix of guitars, handclaps, and percussion over 12 varied tracks ranging from intense dance numbers to passionate love songs such as "Un Amor." Linking it all together are the throaty, emotional vocals, notably those of Nicolas Reyes, evoking the smoky campfires of his underprivileged brethren where this highly polished music originated.--Derek Rath