Rita Campbell
Highland folk duo Carma have been named as one of the hottest newcomers at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections festival.
Singer song writers Carmen Beaton, 20, from Dingwall, and Kenna Ross, 20, from Nairn, beat off competition from hundreds of competitors.
They were named among the top 30 best new acts at the festival, after performing at the renowned Danny Kyle Open Stage – a showcase for the country’s best new folk acts.
The girls followed up that success by launching their first EP, “Serendipity” as part of their ongoing Scottish tour.
Kenna said: “Of the hundreds applying to play on the Danny Kyle Stage, we are honored to be in the top 30 highly recommended acts. It was one of the biggest audiences that we have ever played in front of and we had such a great time. We are grateful for the opportunity to play on such a prestigious stage and we hope to use it as a springboard for more success in 2017. We have an exciting year ahead.”
Carma formed in 2015 as an offshoot of the girls’ former band, AlmostFolk, and have since played at an array of major Scottish festivals including Belladrum, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Celtic Connections, Jocktoberfest, and North Hop.
Their ongoing 2017 tour has seen them play a host of venues across the country, including Inverness’s multi-award winning live venue Hootenanny’s.
They write and play original material and their style has been described as easy listening, alternative folk, incorporating ukulele and piano with melodious vocal harmonies.
Both girls are proud of their Highland roots and intend to stay in the area for the time being. Kenna studies music in Perth while Carmen, based in Dingwall, is studying sound production in North Highland College.