Name: The Gipsy Kings featuring Tonino Ballard
Members: Nicolas Reyes (vocals), Tonino Baliardo (guitar)
Nationality: French
Current release: The Gipsy Kings featuring Tonino Ballard's new album Historia is out May 29th 2026 via Cooking Vinyl.
Recommendation for Montpellier, France: Montpellier is a medieval city. There is so much to see and enjoy in the South of France. Visit Musée Fabre, enjoy the cafes and gipsy music.

If you enjoyed this interview with The Gipsy Kings featuring Tonino Ballard and would like to know more about the band and their music, visit the group's official homepage. They are also on Instagram. 



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

Being from a gipsy environment, music is a very important part of our culture. My family mainly can inspire me.

My young grandson Marlon who can sing and play guitar said to me: "Can you write a song called big bang?" I had no idea what he meant.

I wrote a dance type track with that title and it is on our latest album Historia.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

I do not watch a lot of TV or read much.

My guitar is always by my side. Playing it to come up with new ideas is an integral part of me.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

No, it’s mainly instant.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

I drink too much black coffee, but just enjoy food. I have cut down on my smoking and enjoy an espresso during the day.

For your latest release, what did you start with? If there were conceptual considerations, what were they?

Over the years I have always wanted to write an album about my life as Gipsy King, which started when I was a kid. The new album Historia is that album

I’ve always wanted to write something like this, as it reflects my life.

Tell me a bit about the way the new material developed and gradually took its final form, please.

Historia is my journey through gipsy culture.

I wanted the tracks to include flamenco guitars, joyful choruses and dance rhythms - our traditions for all to enjoy.

What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

Passion and life experiences.

Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

I write and play where my heart takes me.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

I suppose I am a spiritual gipsy.

During the recording of Historia, sadly my dear brother Paco passed away who was one of the original Gipsy Kings. I wrote and recorded the track “Cielo” - an instrumental in loving memory of him.



Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece?

My sons Cosso and MIkeal listen to my initial ideas. We then discuss ideas and put the tracks down and generally agree on the finished recording.

In terms of what they contribute to a song, what is the balance between the composition and the arrangement (including production, mixing and mastering)?  

Recording methods have of course changed since I first started to record.

I oversee the whole course during the recordings. Then the other young gipsy kings come into the studio and we all help with the recording process.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

No, not all. I have dozens of tracks I recorded and never used.

I don't have the time to feel empty. We are continually touring round the world which I love to do.

I would love to know a little about the feedback you've received from listeners or critics about what they thought some of your songs are about or the impact it had on them – have there been “misunderstandings” or did you perhaps even gain new “insights?”

I enjoy meeting all our fans. Some of them are second and third generation.

I enjoy coffee, but nothing touches the soul like music. Often, at our concerts, I have seen people actually cry when we perform “un amor,” a beautiful love song.



The same goes for our version of “a mi menera (my way)” then “bamboleo,” “volare,” “it's fiesta time.”



Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

Love, sadness, passion, fun are what I try to express.

They are the ingredients of life.