Roots

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About Roots

Product Description Last summer, in a stone villa in the small town of St-Andre-de-Bueges in the south of France, the core members of the Gipsy Kings the singers and guitarists of the Reyes and Baliardo families collaborated with producer Craig Street on a new project: an all-acoustic album that they've titled ROOTS. Leaving the drum kit, synthesizer, and electric bass behind, the band recorded in a countryside setting, surrounding themselves with a complement of superior instrumentalists to create an album with a more traditional sound one that brings the music closer to its Flamenco origins in the taverns and backstreet haunts of its humble past. ROOTS brings together Nicolas, Canut, Andre, Patchai and Paul Reyes, Tonino, Diego, and Paco Baliardo, with double-bassist Greg Cohen (Tom Waits, Marisa Monte, Dave Dougles), percussionist Cyro Baptista and accordionist Garth Hudson (The Band). Producer Craig Street (Cassandra Wilson, Susana Baca) preserves an intimate and spontaneous atmosphere throughout an hourlong program that ranges through exuberant rumbas, soulful fandangos, and the relaxed virtuosity of some smoky instrumentals, with lead vocals shared for the first time among four members of the group. Amazon.com The Gipsy Kings are never going to have the kind of critical acclaim that Paco de Lucia has, but their popularization of poppy rumba flamenca among non-Spanish speakers is nothing to be ashamed of. Nonetheless, here on Roots, the octet turns back to the tradition while making their own imprint on it. Having the band record in an old farm house, producer Craig Street, it seems, simply told them to sit down to play their bittersweet songs. Without electric instruments or a drum set to clutter the mix, brisk acoustic guitars will sweep listeners up in the driving rhythms as lead guitarist Tonino Baliardo soars overhead, particularly on the instrumental songs. When Nicolas, Canut and Patchai Reyes take turns on lead vocals, Street adeptly captures the timbre and nuance of the singers' voices while also delicately balancing the guitar, hand percussion and bass. No pop songs or bombastic rock beats:here's one that purists cannot argue with. --Tad Hendrickson