Carlo Karges was a German

Germans

The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....

 musician

Musician

A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....

 who became a guitarist

Guitarist

A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...

 and songwriter

Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

 for the rock band

Rock Band

Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...

, Nena

Nena

Gabriele Susanne Kerner , better known by her stage name Nena, is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1983 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons". In 1984, she re-recorded this song in English as "99 Red Balloons". Nena was also the name of the band with whom she...

. He wrote the lyrics of Nena's most famous song, "99 Luftballons

99 Luftballons

"99 Luftballons" is a protest song by the German pop-rock band Nena from their 1983 self-titled album. Originally sung in German, it was later re-recorded in English as "99 Red Balloons" for their album 99 Luftballons in 1984...

", released in 1983. He was attending a Rolling Stones concert at the Waldbühne (the "Forest Theatre") in West Berlin

West Berlin

West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...

, when they released a large mass of helium balloons into the air. He wondered how East German or Soviet forces might react if the balloons crossed the Berlin Wall

Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...

, and thus he conceived the idea for the song about a major war resulting from misidentification of a mass of balloons.

Karges grew up with his single mother in Hamburg, and began as a student to play guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

 and to compose song

Song

In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...

s. After he had gathered experience playing live in several different groups, including Tomorrows Gift and Release Music Orchestra, by 1971 he was the guitarist and keyboardist

Keyboard instrument

A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...

 and founding member of Novalis

Novalis (band)

Novalis was a 1970s Krautrock group formed in Germany. Their best-known albums include Sommerabend and Wer Schmetterlinge lachen hört.-Band history:...

.

In 1981 he joined Gabriele "Nena" Kerner

Nena

Gabriele Susanne Kerner , better known by her stage name Nena, is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1983 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons". In 1984, she re-recorded this song in English as "99 Red Balloons". Nena was also the name of the band with whom she...

, Rolf Brendel, Jürgen Dehmel

Jürgen Dehmel

Jürgen Dehmel is a German bass player and songwriter.-Biography:Dehmel was brought by keyboardist Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen to join the rock band Nena in 1981. Fahrenkrog-Petersen and Dehmel had previously been together in a band called Odessa, releasing a self-titled album in 1980...

, and Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen

Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen

Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen is a keyboard player and songwriter, known for his work with the German rock group Nena.Born in Berlin he first played in a band called "Vanguard"in 1977 - 1979 with bassist Sven Bode, Guitarist Fritz... and drummer Didier, composing an amazing Rock Opera. Concerts...

 in establishing the eponymous band Nena.

Karges died early in 2002 at the age of 50, in the clinic Eppendorf due to liver failure

Liver failure

Acute liver failure is the appearance of severe complications rapidly after the first signs of liver disease , and indicates that the liver has sustained severe damage . The complications are hepatic encephalopathy and impaired protein synthesis...

. He was buried in Hamburg's main cemetery, Ohlsdorf

Ohlsdorf Cemetery

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