"Gypsy Star exemplifies the very best Tampa Bay has to offer for excellence in music and performance professionalism." ...Music Tampa Bay 96.7 FM
"All the world's music in one band... Gypsy Star tours the folk music of multiple continents. Theirs is a tightly woven Persian rug of a performance." ...Tampa Bay Arts & Education Network
GYPSY STAR
A unique band from the Tampa Bay area of Florida, Gypsy Star fuses indie folk rock with sounds and rhythms from around the world.
Gypsy Star weaves a colorful melodic tapestry of enchanting, uplifting music with acoustic instruments such as classical flamenco guitar, violin, bass, drums and an array of hand percussion.
The mystique behind this dynamic folk rock band's artfully crafted songs lie at the creative hand of guitarist/composer Billy Keen who combines his own musical roots in rock with exotic global influences tapping into Latin, Celtic, Renaissance, Mediterranean and Caribbean flavors. A serendipitous collaboration with long time bandmate, vocalist/percussionist Belinda Brodsky, breathes poetry into Keen’s tunes with lyrics that capture the essence of ancient tales, modern storytelling and heartfelt sentiments.
Billy’s guitar stylings draw from those of his rock background to more recent inspirations of Nuevo Flamenco pioneered by guitarists such as Ottmar Liebert, Jesse Cook and the Gypsy Kings as well as Ritchie Blackmore’s Renaissance and Celtic sounds in Blackmore’s Night. Belinda adds the sultry vocals of her jazz and pop background to their songs and, along with Billy, fashion the band’s melodic pop harmonies ~ their musical pairing reminiscent of Buckingham Nicks.
Rounding out Gypsy Star's sound are bassist Stephen Roberts who has toured throughout central Europe, Scandinavia and parts of Asia as well as his native England; violinist and background vocalist Bonnie Deeds who has performed on tour and national broadcast with Michael Bublé, Josh Groban and Trans-Siberian Orchestra and adding to the band's eclectic sound is newest member... drummer, Kana Leimbach who has toured in her native Japan as well as the northwestern US before moving to Tampa, Florida playing with bands of different genres ranging from R&B and jazz to heavy metal, rock and now the solid rhythm and world beats of Gypsy Star.
Gypsy Star has headlined at various music festivals and plays to enthusiastic crowds at theaters, concert halls, and listening rooms. They have performed at Clearwater Florida's Ruth Eckerd Hall; The Palladium Side Door Cafe in St. Petersburg, FL; The Tin Pan in Richmond, VA; Andrea Clearfield's Salon in Philadelphia, PA; Daryl's House in Pawling, NY and The Triad in NYC just to name a few.
Their musical performances have been featured on television and radio. Notably, their songs “Mistress Moon” and “Bossa” have been on the charts including the #1 spot on Florida’s WMTB 96.7 from 2014 through 2016. Their song "I Feel Love" has entered and has remained in the top 5 on the 2017 charts.
Gypsy Star has compiled an accomplished catalog of original music with 3 albums and a single to their credit. Their debut album, “Gypsy Star” released in 2007, “Once In A Dream,” released in 2011 and their single ~ a charming musical tale rendered in a Renaissance/Celtic style, “The Tale Of The Mistletoe” released in 2014. In 2016 Gypsy Star went back in the studio to record their new album, "Under The Moonlit Night" which was released in January 2017.
