Gitans was not only ranked as one of the best albums of the year by critics around the world but it is widely considered one of the best albums of Gipsy music ever recorded” Dan Rosenberg, (Rough Guide to Music compiler)

Titi Robin’s seminal recording of 1993 finally receives a UK release on September 14th 2009 and is supported by a string of live dates including a show at The Cadogan Hall in London. The special edition CD comes with a bonus DVD featuring Gulabi Sapera, a phenomenal Indian Romani (gypsy) singer and dancer of the Kalbeliya (snake charmer) caste.

Gitans was Titi Robin’s first major International success having gone on to tour the project worldwide for over ten years. Most importantly, it marked the beginning of a wave of popularisation of a musical form that had previously been ignored in mainstream Western cultures. Titi’ s self-declared ‘homage’ to. gipsy culture culminated in a mosaic of encounters between himself and the artists he felt represented the branches of the great gipsy family. From the North Indian folk music of Rajasthan to a hybrid form of flamenco in southern Spain, ‘Gitans’ speaks a myriad of colours with a heart stopping performance from Gulabi Sapera the ‘Gipsy queen of India’ who has enriched the project with her majestic presence and an ethereal tenderness.

Gitan is a term widely used in France to designate Gipsy and nomadic people whereas ‘Gitans’ are a specific ethnic group who migrated to Spain and Southern France. As Tifi was growing up and experimenting with music he became engulfed in a new musical form emanating from the Perpignan and Catalan regions. His musical vision and intricate style of guitar playing were forever permeated by Catalan rumba - the fusing of flamenco with rumba.

The project was originally envisaged 10 years prior to recording; Titi had been pining to record an homage to his gipsy roots, a work of art that he felt gave thanks to those he had met on his journey, his teachers from his alternative school of music. Since the mid 1980’s Titi had combined his guitar based compositions with music from the Rajasthan and Gulabi Sapera in India had seen these experimental clips of Tifi on video. Titi summoned his musician Mends from the Jaipur and Gulabi travelled over to Belgium to take part in the seminal recording session.

Amongst the musicians were flamenco and catalan rumba guitar players (and brothers) Amar “Bruno” Saadna and Joseph “Mambo” Saadna, Hameed Khan from India (Tabla), Paco El Lobo (Palmas & Chants), Francois Castiello (Accordion) & Abdelkarim Sami (Bendir Tehti)

Immediately after the recording was released on the Silex label, the world music fraternity started making a fuss. Peter Gabriel invited the Gitans project to WOMAD in ‘93 and the project would develop into a massive touring ensemble (Up to 16 players and dancers) for over ten years visiting major venues like the Hollywood Bowl and visiting Japan, Canada, Europe & South Africa.