The Original Gypsies performed on 13 March 2019 in Newtown at the Enmore Theatre for their Gipsy Fiesta.
Reviewed by Marcella Tocco
Over 20 years has passed and not much has changed aside from their new name and some new fantastic members. The Original Gypsies performed at Enmore Theatre in Newtown last night; I was perhaps one of the youngest people there, but had just as great of a time as any of the other die-hard fans in the crowd.
There was a wonderful group dynamic between the original members of the Legendary Gipsy Kings Chico Bouchikhi, Canut Reyes, Paul Reyes and their new band members. From the intricate yet effortless strum of their guitars to the suave salsa moves – they were constantly in sync. Anytime one of the guys had a solo the others cheered them on with little shouts of praise as if they too were a fan watching from the crowd.
It was one of those concerts where it was impossible to sit still; feet tapping, shoulders shaking, hips moving to the exciting sounds of their classic rumba and flamenco hits. It would then transition into beautiful ballads that made you smile and acknowledge the rawness of their raspy voices and the true natural talent of these musicians. Every musician on that stage: the guitarists, the vocalists, the drummers, the pianist, and the violinist had something special to offer to this group that created a joyous celebration of music.
The violinist and one of the eight guitarists had the most entertaining ‘battle’ I had ever witnessed. Back and forth they went, playfully competing with each other, faster and faster mimicking each other’s every note. This ended with the violinist jumping onto the floor making his way through the crowd giving each person their own little personal concert.
They had the entire crowd up on their feet dancing through the aisles as they played their classic hits ‘Bamboleo’, ‘Volare’, ‘Djobi Djoba’, and ‘A Mi Manera’. They also played some of their new music and I was pleasantly surprised to hear them play covers of songs such as: ‘Despacito’, ‘Danza Kuduro’, and ‘Hotel California’. The crowd just couldn’t get enough; cheering constantly until the band would return to the stage for multiple encores; no one wanted the fun to stop.
The Original Gypsies did not miss a beat; they were lively, enticing, and like wine have gotten better with age – to say they’ve still got it is an understatement.
Their work is effortless, their joy of performing is pure, and their ability to entertain a crowd is riveting. A thank you is due to The Original Gypsies for a night of good fun.