Band Biography

Formed in June 2015 by Johnny Bacolas and George Stevens, The Rumba Kings (see Wikipedia Article here) is a Seattle-based band that defies genre boundaries. Influenced by diverse musical styles ranging from Spanish-guitar influenced style of The Gipsy Kings to the Mediterranean-inspired instrumental melodies of Yanni, their music takes listeners on a journey through the Mediterranean. While their name may suggest a focus on rumba, the name is a bit misleading.  The Rumba Kings' repertoire encompasses a myriad of music influences, creating a rich and dynamic sound that transcends several genres, combined with the most powerful live show on the world stage.

The band's journey began when Bacolas and Stevens met in May 2015 and discovered a shared musical vision for their dream music and live show. 

By January 2016, The Rumba Kings had built a live set-list of original music and began auditioning musicians to form their first live band. They honed their performance through intimate gigs at small clubs in Seattle, steadily gaining a devoted following.  As word spread about their passionate and energetic shows, the band graduated to larger venues, which later included the renowned Triple Door, various PAC's, and various prestigious theaters around The Northwest.

They quickly assembled a team of talented studio musicians to start working on their debut double-disc album, "The Instrumental and Vocal Sessions, Vol I," which was released in 2017, which was engineered and produced by Johnny Bacolas and featured collaborations with international artists.

In 2018, The Rumba Kings released their single from the album, "Mila Mou," filmed on the Greek island of Santorini.

In 2018, the band released their sophomore album titled, "The Instrumental Sessions, Vol. II," a collection of all original instrumental compositions that featured an evolved sound in comparison to Vol I, incorporating more strings arrangements than it's predecessor and a wide spectrum of styles, and still featuring the lush melodies and highly polished production centered around the signature style Spanish guitar playing of George Stevens.  

In 2019, Bacolas and Stevens took things to the next level by integrated a string quartet and dancers into live shows. With meticulous planning and collaboration with renowned composer/keyboardist, Ahilleas Dantilis and arranger/transcriptionist Seth-May Patterson, they achieved a production that resembled a glamorous Vegas spectacle, elevating their live performances to new heights.  "Put bluntly, our goal is to produce the most beautiful musical experience on Earth," says co-founder Johnny Bacolas. 

In 2022 The Rumba Kings released their single with accompanying music video for, "Love from Mykonos."

In early summer of 2023, the band was honored to perform at Bruce McCaw's birthday party, which ultimately led to McCaw becoming the executive producer on their double-disc album titled, "Whispers of Passion," which was released on Sept. 21, 2024.

Subsequently, in 2023 and 2024, the band also made several appearances on King 5 Seattle Television and launched Whispers of Passion on the October 3rd, 2024 episode of New Day NW .  See our TV & PODCAST PAGE to watch all of these episodes.

KING 5 TV Seattle and KNKX 88.5 FM Seattle has been a staunch supporter of the band, regularly featuring their music on the station and presenting all of their local shows.

The Rumba Kings continue to captivate audiences with their diverse and romantic blend of Pop, Latin, and Mediterranean music, creating a truly unforgettable experience for listeners and concertgoers.

More Published Articles on the band's Press Page

The Rumba Kings on ​Allmusic Guide

The Rumba Kings' Wikipedia Page

The Rumba Kings KING 5 Seattle TV feature story on Evening

 The Rumba Kings' music is available on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Amazon.