Phoenix

Romanian rock band formed in 1962 by guitarists Nicolae Covaci and Béla Kamocsa. Originally named Sfinții (The Saints) the group became popular by covering Western music hits. In 1965, the Communist authorities demanded that the group change its name because of the religious associations. Around the same time the group began to integrate Romanian folklore elements into their music. In 1977, the group fled Romania and settled in West Germany, where they adopted the name Transsylvania Phoenix to distinguish them from a group with the same name. The group returned to Romania in 1990 after Communist rule ended. Copyright label: Phoenix (23).