A German-based folk-rock band with touches of Eastern European musical traditions, Poems for Laila formed in Berlin in 1989 under the initial guidance of duo Nikolai Tomás and Roy Eisenberg. Other members included Melissa Lour, Nile Arndt, and Speedy Sheppard. Their mix of Hungarian and Russian folk with rock stylings caught the ears and attentions of the judges at the Berlin Senate song competition in 1989, and shortly thereafter, Poems for Laila released their first album, Another Poem for the 20th Century, on independent label Berliner Vielklang. ~ Chris True