Talking Point
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Liz Nicholls speaks to Chico Bouchikhi, founder member of The Gipsy Kings and whose band – Chico & The Gypsies – perform in Guildford next month. Q. Your music has been known to give people that loving feeling – how do you feel about that? “It’s just so wonderful for us. When you give love, you receive love, and we do, every time we play. People have compared me to Barry White; a kind of one-man baby boom – but I’m not sure about that! We’ve met people at our concerts who say they were conceived while their parents were listening to The Gipsy Kings. They say that makes them love our music more, so we’re fine with that! Maybe I should call my band Chico & The Babymakers?” Q. Your musical blend of rumba, flamenco, rock and pop has made you popular the world over; have you given the ‘gypsy’ name a bit more of a positive spin? “With music, its beauty is that you don’t have the language barrier; there’s no social barrier, no political barrier. We’re all travellers, in our own way, and we’re excited to share different musical styles and give them wide appeal. We’re not from the gypsy community, but they have been supportive of us. Hopefully, the perception people have of the gypsy community has improved as a result of the band and the music.” Q. In 1994 you played at a UNESCO concert. What did this mean to you? “Helping do anything we can to establish peace is hard, but rewarding, and worth it. There’s still much work to do, but I remain an optimist. We’re speaking for peace and tolerance in the world. I have forgiven those responsible for killing my brother [in 1973, Chico’s older brother Ahmed was assassinated by Israeli secret service agents in Norway, in a case of mistaken identity]. Long ago, I forgave this – you have to, and the concert helped with that.” Q. Do Brits party as hard as audiences on the rest of the continent? “Yes – English people are very expressive! We played in Drury Lane [in London] in November last year, to test the reaction over here, before our tour. It sold out and the reaction was amazing. There’s a lot of love coming from the audience and the band feel it – it’s reciprocated. The song Bamboleo, which is more popular than ever, really helps that.” Q. Brigitte Bardot was one of your earliest star fans – is she still? “She’s been such support and has been a close friend of us as a band since 1978 [when the band regularly performed at her Saint-Tropez beach house]. That’s a 37-year friendship! She gave me the inspiration to keep playing and we still chat on the phone. She’s very happy with the success we’ve had and follows up every time I thank her on telly! What a lovely lady.” Q. What’s been your best concert? “Always the next one – Guildford [laughs]! We’ve never played Guildford before, but we’ve heard it’s a beautiful English town. The show will be great. We’re off to Salisbury for our gig the next night, but yes, we will be having a few beers in Guildford afterwards, so do join us!” Q. Will you ever retire? “There is no retirement in this job. Music is a gift, it’s happiness. Our passion is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and we can’t see that changing, so we go on – to Guildford!” Chico & The Gypsies play Guildford’s G-Live on Wednesday, October 21st. For tickets, call 01483 369 350. Visit our Competitions page. The band’s latest album – Fiesta – is out now. www.chicoandthegypsies.com Chi co Talking Point << time!
Transcript of Talking Point
Liz Nicholls speaks to Chico Bouchikhi, founder member of The Gipsy Kings and whose band – Chico & The Gypsies – perform in Guildford next month.Q. Your music has been known to give people that loving feeling – how do you feel about that? “It’s just so wonderful for us. When you give love, you receive love, and we do, every time we play. People have compared me to Barry White; a kind of one-man baby boom – but I’m not sure about that! We’ve met people at our concerts who say they were conceived while their parents were listening to The Gipsy Kings. They say that makes them love our music more, so we’re fine with that! Maybe I should call my band Chico & The Babymakers?” Q. Your musical blend of rumba, flamenco, rock and pop has made you popular the world over; have you given the ‘gypsy’ name a bit more of a positive spin? “With music, its beauty is that you don’t have the language barrier; there’s no social barrier, no political barrier. We’re all travellers, in our own way, and we’re excited to share different musical styles and give them wide appeal. We’re not from the gypsy community, but they have been supportive of us. Hopefully, the perception people have of the gypsy community has improved as a result of the band and the music.” Q. In 1994 you played at a UNESCO concert. What did this mean to you? “Helping do anything we can to establish peace is hard, but rewarding, and worth it. There’s still much work to do, but I remain an optimist. We’re speaking for peace and tolerance in the world. I have forgiven those responsible for killing my brother [in 1973, Chico’s older brother Ahmed was assassinated by Israeli secret service agents in Norway, in a case of mistaken identity]. Long ago, I forgave this – you have to, and the concert helped with that.”
Q. Do Brits party as hard as audiences on the rest of the continent? “Yes – English people are very expressive! We played in Drury Lane [in London] in November last year, to test the reaction over here, before our tour. It sold out and the reaction was amazing. There’s a lot of love coming from the audience and the band feel it – it’s reciprocated. The song Bamboleo, which is more popular than ever, really helps that.” Q. Brigitte Bardot was one of your earliest star fans – is she still? “She’s been such support and has been a close friend of us as a band since 1978 [when the band regularly performed at her Saint-Tropez beach house]. That’s a 37-year friendship! She gave me the inspiration to keep playing and we still chat on the phone. She’s very happy with the success we’ve had and follows up every time I thank her on telly! What a lovely lady.”
Q. What’s been your best concert? “Always the next one – Guildford [laughs]! We’ve never played Guildford before, but we’ve heard it’s a beautiful English town. The show will be great. We’re off to Salisbury for our gig the next night, but yes, we will be having a few beers in Guildford afterwards, so do join us!” Q. Will you ever retire? “There is no retirement in this job. Music is a gift, it’s happiness. Our passion is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and we can’t see that changing, so we go on – to Guildford!”
� Chico & The Gypsies play Guildford’s G-Live on Wednesday, October 21st. For tickets, call 01483 369 350. Visit our Competitions page. The band’s latest album – Fiesta – is out now. www.chicoandthegypsies.com
Chi coTalking Point <<
time!
Liz Nicholls speaks to Chico Bouchikhi, founder member of The Gipsy Kings and whose band – Chico & The Gypsies – perform in Guildford next month.Q. Your music has been known to give people that loving feeling – how do you feel about that? “It’s just so wonderful for us. When you give love, you receive love, and we do, every time we play. People have compared me to Barry White; a kind of one-man baby boom – but I’m not sure about that! We’ve met people at our concerts who say they were conceived while their parents were listening to The Gipsy Kings. They say that makes them love our music more, so we’re fine with that! Maybe I should call my band Chico & The Babymakers?” Q. Your musical blend of rumba, flamenco, rock and pop has made you popular the world over; have you given the ‘gypsy’ name a bit more of a positive spin? “With music, its beauty is that you don’t have the language barrier; there’s no social barrier, no political barrier. We’re all travellers, in our own way, and we’re excited to share different musical styles and give them wide appeal. We’re not from the gypsy community, but they have been supportive of us. Hopefully, the perception people have of the gypsy community has improved as a result of the band and the music.” Q. In 1994 you played at a UNESCO concert. What did this mean to you? “Helping do anything we can to establish peace is hard, but rewarding, and worth it. There’s still much work to do, but I remain an optimist. We’re speaking for peace and tolerance in the world. I have forgiven those responsible for killing my brother [in 1973, Chico’s older brother Ahmed was assassinated by Israeli secret service agents in Norway, in a case of mistaken identity]. Long ago, I forgave this – you have to, and the concert helped with that.”
Q. Do Brits party as hard as audiences on the rest of the continent? “Yes – English people are very expressive! We played in Drury Lane [in London] in November last year, to test the reaction over here, before our tour. It sold out and the reaction was amazing. There’s a lot of love coming from the audience and the band feel it – it’s reciprocated. The song Bamboleo, which is more popular than ever, really helps that.” Q. Brigitte Bardot was one of your earliest star fans – is she still? “She’s been such support and has been a close friend of us as a band since 1978 [when the band regularly performed at her Saint-Tropez beach house]. That’s a 37-year friendship! She gave me the inspiration to keep playing and we still chat on the phone. She’s very happy with the success we’ve had and follows up every time I thank her on telly! What a lovely lady.”
Q. What’s been your best concert? “Always the next one – Guildford [laughs]! We’ve never played Guildford before, but we’ve heard it’s a beautiful English town. The show will be great. We’re off to Salisbury for our gig the next night, but yes, we will be having a few beers in Guildford afterwards, so do join us!” Q. Will you ever retire? “There is no retirement in this job. Music is a gift, it’s happiness. Our passion is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and we can’t see that changing, so we go on – to Guildford!”
� Chico & The Gypsies play Guildford’s G-Live on Wednesday, October 21st. For tickets, call 01483 369 350. Visit our Competitions page. The band’s latest album – Fiesta – is out now. www.chicoandthegypsies.com
Chicotime!
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