<p>Karkwa formed in 1998 and made themselves heard the next year, when the five music die-hards performed at the Cégeps en spectacle contest in Montreal and caught the eye of the Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse (a France Quebec youth exchange organization), which invited them to perform at the Printemps du Québec cultural expo in Paris.<br /><br />With the page turned on that adventure, the band members shifted their attention to separate projects. Not until 2001 did Karkwa truly step back on the scene, making it to the final round at the 7th Francouvertes music competition. From there they embarked on a concert series, perfect for putting the final spit and polish on the elements of their debut album. When Le pensionnat des établis [Boarding School of the Establishment] appeared in 2003, the critics required no further convincing, and Karkwa landed twice at the top of the university charts. There followed some 75 shows across Quebec, as well as newsmaking performances on major stages.<br /><br />In April 2008, ten years into their remarkable career, singer/guitarist Louis-Jean Cormier, drummer Stéphane Bergeron, keyboardist François Lafontaine, bassist Martin Lamontagne and percussionist/singer Julien Sagot released Le volume du vent [Volume of the Wind], their landmark third album.</p>