Ravinia 2022, Issue 5

JENN FIVE (GIPSY KINGS); TAYLOG BOGNER (OLENDER) PAVILION 7:30 PM TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2022 AL OLENDER † –Intermission– GIPSY KINGS FEATURING NICOLAS REYES † Ravinia debut GIPSY KINGS Comprising two families of Romani heritage, the Gipsy Kings have stood among the top world-albums artists since their eponymous debut album was released in 1986. The group plays the trademark “rumba flamenco” style of its Spanish Gitano background, combining the vigorous guitar work of Tonino Baliardo and the passionate vocals of Nicolas Reyes, sung entirely in their native dialect. In fact, the Gipsy Kings are the next generation of a famed flamenco duo: singer José Reyes, fa- ther of Nicolas and the Reyes brothers; and guitarist Manitas de Plata, father of Tonino and the Baliardo brothers. Hailing from Ar- les and Montpelier in the south of France, the group got its start playing traditional music around their settlements and traveling to play weddings, festivals and parties. With its wan- derlust, the Gipsy Kings took on elements of contemporary pop sounds, and soon found themselves with two international hit songs, “Bamboleo” and “Djobi Djoba,” and a plati- num debut record. Further albums—includ- ing Mosaique (1989), Allegria (1989), Este Mundo (1991), Gipsy Kings Live (1992), Love & Liberté (1994), Tierra Gitana (1995), Can- tos de Amor (1995), and Volare! The Very Best of the Gipsy Kings (2000)—have provided a steady stream of hits to Billboard ’s world al- bums, Latin, and pop charts and have sold over 14 million copies worldwide. Tierra Gitana was also the title of a 1996 PBS doc- umentary that explored the band’s roots in the gypsy culture and its musical heritage, filming the group in concert in Arles, France. The Gipsy Kings’ 2004 Grammy-nominated album Roots marked an acoustic revitaliza- tion of their music, resonating closely with its flamenco roots, while the group’s most recent album, 2013 Grammy winner Savor Flamen- co , married Brazilian folk and pop forms with its own fiery idiom. Thirty years after it first appeared, “Bamboleo” found further audi- ences on the soundtrack to the 2016 animated film Sing . The band has also been featured on the soundtracks of 2010’s Toy Story 3 , play- ing a Gipsy Kings version of the series’ there “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” and the 2019 Big Lebowski spinoff The Jesus Rolls . First appear- ing at Ravinia in 2005, the Gipsy Kings return tonight for their 10th season as the festival. AL OLENDER For Upstate New York–based singer-song- writer Al Olender, facing the fear of honesty has been a cleansing, often cathartic process that’s led to the revelations that play out on her debut full-length album Easy Crier , re- leased in May. Charting the daunting terri- tories of staring personal demons right in the face and prodding at the ugly parts of reflections, Olender pieces together her most vulnerable moments to produce a celebra- tory and beautiful rumination on grief that also asks, What happens if we vow to never tell a lie, ever again? The catalyst for this re- newed outlook stems from the sudden loss of her older brother, who was a huge supporter of Olender’s musical talents from the very beginning, often inviting his friends over to hear the then-teenager play her “angsty love songs.” Easy Crier begins with “All I Do Is Watch TV,” a darkly humorous comment on the unmoored early stages of losing a loved one, way too soon—lyrics of lament unfold- ing over a chromatic, repetitive melody that mimics an untethered, sped-up montage-like existence. On the folky, pop-infused banger “Keith,” Olender confronts her sorrow as fond memories are abruptly interrupted by a crashing cymbal and animated percussion: an ever-increasing heart rate capturing the inner chaos. Then on the closer “Mean,” a sparse, acoustic arrangement offers a platform for grief-stricken consolation. Olender record- ed Easy Crier at The Church in Harlemville, NY, with producer and engineer James Felice, who also lent his skills on keyboard, accor- dion and piano, with Jesske Hume (bass/ synths), William Lawrence (drums/guitar), Ian Felice (guitar), and Alejandro Leon (bass) also contributing. The album’s sonic universe sees delicate keys dance alongside acoustic plucks, later welcoming brooding strings and lush, expansive harmonies—arrangements that capture the sonic personality of Easy Cri- er : both tender and invigorating, soothing yet anthemic. It’s an album that takes each shat- tered, heartbroken piece and puts them back together to form a strangely beautiful mosaic. Al Olender is making her Ravinia debut. RAVINIA MAGAZINE • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 28, 2022 24 I I I ;