Carmina - Hamra CD
SKU
SZ 64
Michel Radel - bass
Manuel Denizet - drums
Michel Deneuve - electric piano, vibes, vocals
Olivier Brochart - electric piano, vocals
Benoît Lallemant - percussion, vocals
Philippe Gisselmann - soprano sax
Track 1 recorded at studio Johanna, January 25th, 1976
Track 2 rehearsal recorded December 1976
Track 3 recorded live, the encore at Chaumont, June 2nd, 1977
Carmina were a French zeuhl band who existed in the 70s, but never released anything during their lifetime, but who played many concerts and who are fondly remembered by fans, and these memories, combined with the lack of any recordings turned the group into legend...until now, when, thanks to Alain Lebon and Soleil Zeuhl we can finally hear it!
None of the recordings were ‘professional’ recordings, but the over-all sound is very good and no one who has been waiting 50 years to hear this music will be disappointed!
The music is very zeuhl, but with it’s own flavor. The excellent booklet has many (moody!) photos and a great history of the band by Aymeric Leroy!
“Carmina was formed in 1974 by young musicians from Chaumont. By late 1975, Carmina performed several times as a triple bill with Masal and Etron Fou Leloublan, all three being protégés of Utopia, the stable/label that Magma’s manager Giorgio Gomelsky was then aiming to create. There was talk (and even announcements in the music press) of several dates supporting Magma on their major French tour in February 1976, but these never materialized, nor did plans to record an album for Utopia, as the label evaporated following Gomelsky’s departure for the United States, or for Atem, Art Zoyd’s Nancy-based label.
In 1976, a much quieter year on the stage front, the band focused mainly on developing their signature piece “Hamra”, which grew in length until it became the sole item in their setlist, lasting over an hour with solos by all members.
By mid 1977, weary of the band’s precarious financial situation and the lack of serious prospects, their performance at the Sierck-les-Bains festival in Moselle, on June 25th, 1977, on a bill that also included Henry Cow, Surya and National Health, turned out to be Carmina’s swan song. The group split up after three years without leaving any recorded legacy, an injustice that would endure for almost half a century.”
- LabelSoleil Zeuhl
- UPC0698147087680