Jun Kung is perhaps the hippest drummer in Hong HKong. Since releasing his debut single What Size of Shoes U Wear in 1999, and If in April 2008 without any label support, he has made a name for himself in Cantopop. The highlights of his resume include being the drummer-producer for Jacky Cheung’s World Tour in 2007 and forming his jazz-funk project, the JunK Unit. Above all, Kung is famous for his electrifying live performances. Born Joventino Couto Remotigue Jr. in 1977 in Hong Kong, Kung has a Filipino father and a Chinese-Portuguese-Mexican mother. He’s also proficient on the bass and guitar, and is a reputable music arranger and producer.

I had my first gig at age seven. My first ever paying gig was at age 14 as a session musician for a TV series on TVB. I’m very blessed to be making a living playing music fulltime, and to have had a chance to play with countless legends before age 30. Playing with Eugene Pao and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta have been the highlights so far.

My parents tried to stop me from playing music for reasons I now understand. The music industry can be shady, with lots of people with their own agenda. I’ve learned that music is not about competition but is about expressing yourself. You have to be an honourable person to begin with.

Well, my family has called me ‘Junny’ since birth. When I came back to Hong Kong ten years ago, my first record label brought me to a Chinese fortune-teller, who gave me a few names to choose from. When I saw the name ‘Kung Shek-leung’, it stood out from the rest of the 20 plus names given. So, I guess I trusted my instincts and went for that. Now, Jun Kung to me, represents what I believe in: ‘The more you drink, the better we sound!’ The Chinese pronunciation sounds more like a character in a martial arts novel, riding a horse and roaming from village to village to battle the bad guys. I guess that’s my life; Jun Kung roaming from city to city finding the baddest musicians to play with and learn from.

It’s a combination of jazz and funk, thus the word ‘junk’. It’s a pool of musicians, friends of mine, and who are in town and available. JunK Unit has its own repertoire – anything from Monk to James Brown to Rahsaan Roland Kirk, some originals and my own Canto tunes, but played differently every time.

Not a lot, but back when I was studying in the States, Monk was a must-study guy. My drum teacher Ian Froman at the Drummer’s Collective in New York, told me, ‘You gotta listen to Monk’. I don’t think I’m a jazz cat and I know my limitations, but when it comes to Monk, he just hits me because he is what jazz is about.

To tell you the truth, that show is just like any other show I’ve done. I just get these cats together and start playing, like a club date or at the old Jazz Club [now defunct] gig. I just invite whoever is in town and we have a good time. I was honoured that they chose me, the least-known guy in their line-up, to kick off an event like that. I love my job!

Wow, he’s a legend. This guy is constantly singing, man! I love his passion. I was fortunate to produce some songs on his album. When I first met him, my heart couldn’t stop beating. Sting was the other person who made me feel like that. When I played with [Cheung] on a rehearsal of the Living the Life concert a few years ago, I was so into this slow ballad at one point in rehearsals that I kept drumming and completely messed up on the music break. Every musician stopped and stared at me. I was so embarrassed. I swear, I thought I was listening to a CD. It was that perfect. I don’t think I ever told him that story. And I became a better singer after touring with Jacky. I look forward to the next project with him.

I just signed with Revolution Talent Management, a publicist agency formed by my close friends at alivenotdead.com. It’s like family. Right now, I’ve never been happier musically and personally. I can focus on writing tunes in the studio and thinking about music. I have melodies in my head every day.