The Gipsy Kings are responsible for bringing the joyful sounds of progressive pop-oriented flamenco to the world. The band started out in a village in southern France, during the '70s when brothers Nicolas and Andre Reyes, teamed up with their cousins Jacques, Maurice, and Tonino Baliardo. They started out as a Gypsy band playing weddings, festivals, and in the streets. This led to the band adopting the name the Gipsy Kings. Their debut album spent 40 weeks on the U.S. charts, going gold. The Kings have had an active release schedule since, including the albums Mosaique (1989), Live! (1992), Love & Liberte (1994), Tierra Gitana (1996), Cantos de Amor (1998), Somos Gitanos (2001), and Roots (2004). After extended touring, a new studio album Pasajero appeared in 2007, followed later that year by Live in Los Angeles. The Gipsy Kings continued touring the globe almost incessantly before taking an extended break during which several greatest-hits and best-of compilations appeared.