About the Flamenco from the Camargue
Many Catalanian Gypsies left
Spain during a civil war to France, because they were no fighters and
feared for their children.A part of them lives know in and around
Perpignan, but most live in the Camargue between Marseille, Arles and
Montpellier.They had a lot of problems during years, but are now more
or less integrated and accepted by the French population. Some of them
earn their money as musicians, many make music just for fun, during
fiestas, marriages and so on.There are at least 5 families of
musicians, wellknown in the community:
The Family "Baliardo", "Reyes", "Régis", "Patrac" and
"Arenas".The Baliardos live in Montpellier, the Reyes in Arles, where
the other families live is out of my knowledge.
Interesting is to see, that the Baliardo family has very good guitar
players, the Reyes family is a more a singing one, as well as the
Patracs and the Arenas, the Régis are, as the Baliardos, better
guitar player. As usually, there are allways exceptions, f. e. "Bambo"
Baliardo and "Manero" Baliardo are good singers, and "Niño de
Suerte" Baliardo got his first "gold disc" at the age of 9.
Mario Reyes is an excellent guitar player with a diplom of the
conservatory. He is, as left hand, able to play as well left hand tuned
guitars as right hand tuned ones without changing anything of the
tuning. But back to the history:
At the end of the 50's in 2oth century, a certain Ricardo Baliardo was discovered from some French artists, and not much later, Manitas de Plata came over the world as one of the best guitar players ever. He was in company with José Reyes, the best flamenco singer in France at this time. Both played with their families in "Les Saintes Maries de La Mer" during the Gipsy Pilgrimage there in the Camargue, where they prayed to their Sainte, the Black Sara.
In that small town in the Camargue, Manitas has been discovered.
Later, the brother of Manitas, Hippolyte Baliardo found his way
to become well known as Rhumba guitar player. The sons of both were
member of the differnent formations called "Los Baliardos" playing with
Manitas and / or Hippolyte. José Reyes founded later his own
formation "José Reyes et Los Reyes", where the "Los Reyes" has
been his sons and a later son in law, Chico Bouchikhi. After the death
of José, the sons continued as "Los Reyes".
During a fiesta, they had contact to some members of the Baliardo
family, played together, found their own new style and are now
worldwide known as the "Gipsy Kings".
Manitas de Plata was the first known musician from Camargue, he cleared
the way for the Gipsy Kings towards the world, the second formation
from that small region in the south of France. It was the beginning of
a "gold rush" for young musicians, to follow these idols on their way
of / to succes.
Many groups were founded, the musicians changed from one to the other, some are now more or less known, f. e.
Chico & the Gypsies, Gipsyland, Los Reyes - the young generation,
Gitano Family. All musicians are able to play "flamenco puro", as
Manitas de Plata, all learn play a guitar as little children. But the
bands prefer to play more or less modern Rhumba or Buleria, even with
differences in style between Arles and Montpellier. But as they are of
Catalonian origin, the hardliners of Spanish flamenco school from
Andalucia didn't accept their music as "flamenco".
So I see Spain as "Rome", and Camargue as the "small town of invincible
Gallois" - Manitas de Plata as Asterix ? :-)) One German flamenco
specialist called Manitas, in a positive meaning, as a "punk of
flamenco".