Hamra by Carmina

Carmina was formed in 1974 by young musicians from Chaumont (in the Haute-Marne department), most of whom were previously in Drumling Song, a blues-rock cover band that later began performing original material. It all began when 15-year-old drummer Manuel Denizet joined an existing nucleus of 18-year-old bassist Michel Radel and two guitarist-singers, José Roméo and Patrick Dumesnil. They were soon augmented by 16-year-old Vincent Decker, a harmonica player and budding fl autist. Beginning in the spring of 1970, they performed covers of songs by John Mayall, Cream, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple at local Saturday night dances, and went on to open for more famous bands such as Triangle, Martin Circus, and Les Variations.

Carmina naît en 1974 à l’initiative de jeunes musiciens chaumontais issus pour la plupart du groupe Drumling Song, groupe de reprises blues-rock ayant évolué sur le tard vers des compositions originales. Tout part de la rencontre entre le batteur Manuel Denizet, 15 ans, et un noyau préexistant constitué de deux guitaristes-chanteurs, José Roméo et Patrick Dumesnil, et du bassiste Michel Radel, 18 ans, rapidement rejoints par Vincent Decker, 16 ans, harmoniciste et apprenti flûtiste.
À partir du printemps 1970, le quintette se produit en « attraction » dans les bals du samedi soir de la région, proposant un set de reprises de John Mayall, Cream, les Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin ou Deep Purple, puis en première partie de formations plus réputées comme Triangle, Martin Circus ou les Variations.

Soleil Zeuhl has been created as a non-profit organization in autumn 1998 by Alain Lebon. Back then, the idea was to reissue on CD the Zeuhl segment of the French 70s musical scene (to be short, the bands influenced by Magma), segment which was widely forsaken by the labels of the period, including those dedicated to reissues.

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