These popular flamenco artists initially formed as an offshoot of the family group Los Reyes (the Kings), who in the 70s and 80s were led by father José Reyes.As the Gipsy Kings the band attempted to reach a worldwide market for the first time, initially earning their reputation by playing to film stars and royalty at France’s St. Tropez holiday resort. They made their worldwide debut with a self-titled album for Elektra Records in 1988, by which time several collections had already been released in Spain and mainland Europe. As before, the music blended elements of the Nueva Andalucia flamenco style, with the inclusion of percussive foot stamps, handclaps and vocals drawn from Arabic music. In addition to their trademark multiguitar sound, they also added other components, including drums, bass, percussion and synthesizers.