LOS REYES DEL KO

Marcos Coll and Adrián Costa started to play together in Santiago de Compostela in 1992 as the result of a firm friendship and a strong musical connection, with blues being the common denominator. After forming a number of different groups including Red Blues Band and Bluerags they finally settled in Madrid in 1999 and joined the well-established Spanish group the Tonky Blues Band. With this band they have performed at numerous blues and jazz festivals all over the peninsular and have accompanied a number of prestigious artists including Amar Sundy, Zack Prather, the legendary Mick Taylor (ex – member of the Rolling Stones) and Buddy Miles (Jimi Hendrix, Santana), both in live performances and in recordings.

As a duo they have a curious and unmistakable chemistry, since their closeness is tangible right from the first notes, creating a strong rapport with the public. A number of different influences can be detected in their music, with black blues being the principal reference with undertones of jazz, ragtime and gospel. Their repertoire includes classic blues tracks such as ‘Need my babe’ (W. Horton), ‘Woman don’t lie’ (L. Johnson) and ‘Tight dress’ (G. Smith), traditional jazz pieces such as ‘I left my heart in San Francisco’ and ‘Yesterdays’ and gospel songs such as ‘Revelation’, ‘Wade in the water’ and ‘Reno factory’.

All this turns their music into a festival of colour and texture in the face of which it is impossible to remain indifferent.

MARCOS COLL (harmonica)

Marcos Coll was born in Madrid, although he went to live in Galicia at the age of seven. He taught himself to play the harmonica by listening to blues musicians such as Sonny Terry, Little Walter and Sonny Boy I and II, as well as his maestro and close friend Ñaco Goñi. From the age of 14 onwards, he formed and played in a number of different amateur groups. At the age of 17 he began to make a living with his harmonica, forming his own duo band with Xulian Freire, as well as accompanying various other rock and blues groups. He spent six years working all over Galicia and Spain, playing in clubs, festivals and even the odd conservatory. Throughout his career, he has accompanied such prestigious musicians as J.J. Milteau, Johana Connors Blues Band and Enrie Hawkins, among others.

During the 1997-98 academic year, he worked as a harmonica teacher at the A.U.C.O. music school. In 1999 he settled in Madrid and joined the Tonky Blues Band, playing with Mick Taylor, Buddy Miles and even Tom Jones.

His harmonica can be heard in many albums by many different Galician blues, rock and folk groups, as well in tracks by Siniestro Total, Tonky Blues Band, Manuel Seixas and Velma Powell.

ADRIAN COSTA (vocals and guitar)

Multi-instrumentalist born in Santiago de Compostela, Adrian Costa is the great revolution of Spanish blues. His style is a mixture of the blackest rural blues, soul and even Frank Zappa, and he has been compared by critics to Mike Bloomfield himself.

His voice has a curious texture which gives it its own personality and reminds the listener of classical jazz vocalists such as Slim Gailard.

JAVIER VACAS (bass)
ANTONIO "Pax" ÁLVAREZ (drums)

These musicians have been playing together for more than ten years, forming part of a number of bands including Chocolate Blues Express, Amparanos del Blues and Amparanoia. Currently, they often work with La Vacazul and Tres Hombres, with whom they have been travelling all over the country for a number of years now. They form a luxuriant, solid rhythmic base capable of playing all styles, including jazz, reggae, funk and, needless to say, blues.