Search - Gipsyland :: Arte

In the latter part of the 20th century, flamenco music emerged from its folkloric roots in southern Spain and embraced other musical genres. Gipsyland, led by guitarist Antoine "Kiko" Motos, have been leaders of that outward movement. This CD is the follow-up to Gipsyland's debut recording, Viva la Música, and it marries flamenco to North African, North and South American, and Caribbean grooves. The group manages to keep flamenco's festive, Moorish styling intact on the hip-hop/rave-flavored selections "Nuestro" and "Fin de Verano," and on the Brazilian samba-batucada beats of the Carlinhos Brown track "Muevete." "Dile Compadre" is a moving merger of salsa and house music, and the Egyptian-Armenian diva Anoushka sings on the evocative track "Salaam," which reveals flamenco's Arabic roots. From castanets to the clave, Gipsyland excels in all kinds of dance music. --Eugene Holley Jr.