Beyond

Posted: 23 Sep 2008

If you’re talking about rock heroes in Hong Kong, there is really only one answer: Beyond. The band, which played its first show to 300 people in 1983 at Caritas in Central, and finally disbanded in after a farewell show in 2005, helped shape Hong Kong’s social consciousness, eschewing typical love songs in favour of music that focused on society issues, family, and peace. In 1993, the city was shocked when Beyond’s iconic lead singer, Wong Ka-kui, was killed during filming for a Japanese game show. Hong Kong had lost one of its most important voices.

Against the odds, however, the band forged on for another decade, with Ka-kui’s brother, Wong Ka-keung, taking up the singing duties, and fiery guitarist Paul Wong and drummer Yip Sai-wing right there with him. The songs crafted over those 20 years have helped define Hong Kong’s music and understanding of self. The imprint Beyond have left on the city stretches beyond music.

“I don’t think we are heroes,” says Ka-keung today. “We just try our best to do the music. Beyond just wanted to create something different in the Hong Kong music scene.”

Benny Chia

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