GYPSY KINGS AND REINES ANGLAISES
Manchester was spoiled only by over zealous security, who dispite being invited backstage to chat with my friends, a bully of a rascist security man thought he would try to intimidate my friend Marguerite and I and bear in mind we are 2 ladies in our 50's well we were not frightened of him, then I had my camera taken off me even though I had been given permission to take photographs, What a wonderful impression of Britain this gave!. But the concert was FABULOUS, and I hurt myself badly dancing with a really lovely Portugese family.
Queen Victoria also had a great love for Gypsy music, and often had Gypsy musicians to play for her when visiting Wales she had Edward Wood to play his harp for her, I believe he later became her official harpist. There is a story in my family of an ancestor busking on the street in London as a young boy, he was with several other young Gypsy boys. It is said that Queen Victoria who was passing in a Carriage stopped to hear them play and threw a large numver of coins to them. This is why I wonder , when Gypsy Kings play at Royal Albert Hall, if she is not there in spirit. I am sure this great Queen would have loved to see these Gypsy boys playing in the Hall built as a tribute to her husband.I am also sure that given the history Nicholas Reyes singing Un Amore would have touched her heart. The article is published with permission from Pesha Tshaya's Blog.
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Last month I travelled to Manchester and then to London to see Gipsy Kings on a mini UK tour.
Gipsy Kings are wonderful ambassadors for the Gypsy people. They came from humble beginnings, and they have not allowed fame to change them one little bit. They sing of dancing and family and they do so with joy, they sing of the struggle of our people and they do so with such passion, they sing about being Gypsies and they do so with pride. What always impresses me with thier concerts is the diversity of the audience, so many nationalities gathered. They may not realise it but they do so much to promote inter-culturism, which is what is needed in the world today. And when you look around there are the very young and the very old all enjoying the wonderful night of music and friendship.
Gipsy Kings were at The Royal Albert Hall last years as well and when I sit there watching them I often wonder is there an unseen member of the audience? The Royal Albert Hall was built in memory of Prince Albert the much loved husband of Queen Victoria, who had a great love for the Gypsy people, there are sevreal recorded instances of her kindness to them. When she was a young girl in 1836 she visited a gypsy camp near where she was staying for Christmas and persuaded her mother to send food, blankets and fuel: and she recorded in her diary
Queen Victoria's life seemed to intermingle with the Gypsy people even before she was born,When Victoria's father, the Duke of Kent, was stationed at Malta, he heard a Gypsy prophesy that a daughter of his would someday be a great queen. Hearing the call of destiny, he rushed his pregnant wife across the English Channel during a winter storm in order that England's next great queen might be born on English soil. Eight months after his daughter's birth, the Duke of Kent was dead. He died from complications of a head cold. Queen Victoria also loved to have her fortune told and is remembered with great affection by the Gypsy people for proclaiming Palm Reading a legal career amongst the Gypsy groups.
