Twenty-five years ago, two separate bands of brothers could not have imagined their professional careers taking off the way they did. These men, the Reyes brothers (Nicolas, Canut, Paul, Patchai and Andre) joined voices and guitars with the Baliardos (Diego, Paco and Tonino) to play music in and around Cannes, France. As the sons of Spanish Gypsy families that fled to France during the Spanish Civil War, they performed the music they loved best — flamenco — peppering it with Western pop and spicy Latin rhythms.

When they realized Los Reyes translated to “The Kings,” a bulb went off; and the light shone on a new name: the Gipsy Kings.