WISHING YOU A VERY GIPSY CHRISTMAS
In gipsy style… a festive Christmas release from House of the Gipsies
One of the world’s most recognized Christmas songs, “Feliz Navidad,” appears on the five-song EP, with the blessing of its celebrated composer, the great Jose Feliciano.
The musical collective, has chosen its favorite Christmas songs and hymns, including “Silent Night (Noche de Paz)” and “O Come, O Come Emmanuel (O Ven, O Ven Emmanuel).” All are infused with the joyful rhythms and vibes of the ecstatic Gipsy rumba, featuring the flamenco guitars, and stirring voices of HOTG’s gipsy royalty. A Gipsy Christmas also marks HOTG’s debut release.
“I believe that we urgently need a cultural shift through positive messaging in music. It’s been exciting and uplifting to be able to experiment with the gipsy sound current inside of my faith and our natural curiosity for different musical and spiritual traditions,” says Patchai Reyes, House of the Gipsies co-founder.
It’s a family affair, as younger brother Kakou Reyes adds, “We are really happy to share our culture and faith with the world and hope this EP uplifts the hearts of all people this Christmas.”
The album’s release is welcomed by the Radiant Foundation, a non-profit that seeks to create a world more open to God, promoting authentic expressions of faith and spirituality. “To have a musical contribution which is so clearly an expression of Kakou and Patchai’s faith is a great privilege. We celebrate their effort to spread some faith, hope and love, this festive season with A Very Gipsy Christmas,” says Brooke Zaugg, a Vice President at Radiant Foundation.
The Reyes brothers, who regularly perform with their family members as part of their uncle Andre‘s Gipsy Kings (the name Reyes means “Kings” in Spanish), created the hybrid musical collective with Cedric Leonardi, himself a former drummer of the original south of France group. The gifted musicians are delighted to share more of their traditions, culture, and faith with the world, spreading their message of unity and love in Spanish, French, English and Catalan languages.
Patchai and Kakou will be hosting four Facebook Live events – singing their favorite songs and sharing their favorite Bible passages, in Spanish, on December 4, 11, 18 and 25 at 12 ET.
‘A Gipsy Christmas’ is the brainchild of Grammy award-winning producers and brothers, Frank and Christian Berman. The Berman Brothers have produced some of the world’s biggest concept albums, including the Universal release, Rhythms Del Mundo – (# 1 on iTunes in over 20 countries) featuring musicians from Buena Vista Social Club. The Berman Brothers have been instrumental in developing the HOTG sound-current and are working with House of the Gipsies on two further uplifting musical projects, due to release in 2023.
“We are especially grateful to Jose Feliciano for allowing us to add a lyrical twist to his iconic song. “Feliz Navidad” is arguably the most notable original Christmas song of the past 50 years,” says Frank Berman. “It is particularly unique as being one of the first number 1 bilingual hits with both Spanish and English lyrics. It is beloved across multiple generations and countries and has become the standard bearer of hope and joy at Christmas.”
“It’s an incredibly joyful experience working with and producing HOTG,” shared brother Christian.
“I find it extraordinary to be holding musical hands across time and space with the beautiful sound of the traditional rumba, making something new and wonderful of beloved Christmas songs.”
Stream, buy or gift (with eCard) these songs starting November 25 – AGipsyChristmas.com
LISTEN HERE.
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About the Berman Brothers
Real life siblings Frank and Christian Berman are Grammy award-winning record producers and songwriters. Their work has been awarded more than 90 Gold and Platinum awards amongst many others.
As producers, writers, and publishers they have worked with international superstars including Coldplay, Maroon Five, Major Lazer (Diplo) and the legendary Buena Vista Social Club. The German born, New York and Berlin based Brothers are critically acclaimed by the New York Times, Forbes, Billboard, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian and many more.
House of the Gipsies are the curators of authentic gipsy music and culture. Gipsies are born playing music and so HOTG’s natural starting point was a musical collaboration with the Rajasthan International Folk Festival at the invitation of India’s Maharajah of Jodhpur. A concert and story on the return of the gipsy tribes to their ancestral homeland in Rajasthan India, was shared through the eyes of the grandchildren of the Gipsy Kings.
Over time, House of the Gipsies’ focus shifted their social heartbeat and cultural story, tapping the collective longing for joy and freedom as expressed naturally thru the gipsy rumba. As a musical collective, HOTG allows fluidity for artists to join in – from global gipsy musical tribes (there are 37 different tribal groups and 13 million gipsies globally) to cross cultural superstar collaborations.
Today, House of the Gipsies are prepping gipsy music projects with the Berman Brothers that expand their philanthropic footprint globally and reinforce their cultural mission of unity through music, while igniting the gipsy in all of us. HOTG are dream-weavers of liberation and guides to a new paradigm of joy. Come join in.
#houseofthegipsies
The Radiant Foundation seeks to create a healthier, more unified world by promoting authentic expressions of God-centered spirituality. The Foundation’s Faith & Media Initiative works to provide connection and heal division by bringing faith and media together around shared interests and mutual goals to foster an open dialogue about spirituality and diverse faiths, encourage and support accurate and nuanced faith storytelling, and position media and faith as valuable resources to society.
For Media Information:
For music clips, photography and artwork, interviews, and more information on A Gipsy Christmas, or any of the parties featured in this announcement, please contact: media@agipsychristmas.com
For general inquiries contact: hello@agipsychristmas.com
dyejo
Kurt Francom
Guest Author
Jill Holmes
