Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The light that burns the brightest...


I grew up listening to Beyond, and Wong Ka Kui: singer, songwriter, lyricist, messenger of peace, leader, legend. Ka Kui died nearly 15 years ago, yet he is still influential to many people, including me. I never get tired of his songs, his message, his super soulful voice. The man spoke his mind, he loved peace, and he loved music. He was intelligent and ambitious, yet his goals were never about money, and he was always generous with everyone around him. If he were alive, Ka Kui would be 46 years old today.

Below are lyrics that I will never forget. They are powerful lyrics for sure, but the reason I will remember them forever is the performance below. This song and this concert really moved me, and Beyond went from being a band that I liked, to a band that I love.

我已背上一身苦困後悔與唏噓
妳眼裏卻此刻充滿淚
這個世界已不知不覺的空虛
不想你別去




Happy Birthday, Ka Kui. Your legacy will live on forever.

5 comments:

John said...

It says a lot about a band when you can confidentally say that every single Hong Kong/Chinese person that learnt to play the guitar during the 90s has learnt to play a song by Beyond.

Good choice of song.

alex said...

Oh I miss the good old band days in my basement singing their song til 2am

Unknown said...

15 years already? hm..everytime i heard the songs,always felt like the first time.
Da, lu an I went another beyond section in redbox while I was in hk a few weeks back, too bad you weren't there.
yea, we sang "famers" many times over hahaha, I never understood why that song never got famous like the rest.
I believe his music will live on even after we are long gone. Our children's children will know his songs. He is, in my mind, a true music legend, one and only rock star

ahsir said...

I read it somewhere saying he was a Sellout for the Rock music and wrote pop corn candy Rock songs.I'd also read he was Not a Rocker, but a money driven singer.

However, I don't think it is fare to judge a man like that. Amani, 喜歡你 and 海闊天空... they are not rock songs, but it got ppl to listen to rock music and love a "band". It is like Rock 101, an intro for anyone who've never touch rock before. He got to make a living... There is no dream if you can't even fill your stomach.
shit, Beyond got me to learn guitar.

Classic songs never dies. Classic songs always reminds you your youth and what were you doing at that period of time.

HE is ~ For that~ a true Rock Star and pop Icon. I am Pround to say that I am a Beyond Fan.

Justin said...

I see where they're coming from, but I think Beyond has paid its dues. They went through a lot of hard times. I read about how Ah Wing and Ka Kui used to put some money together to buy a pound of bread and share it. They'd put sugar on it and that would be their meal. They'd go to Cha Chan Teng and order milk tea so they could keep refilling the teapot with water and stay there all night to talk about music.

By mixing in canto popish music into their albums, they did Hong Kong's rock scene a huge favor. They made rock music more mainstream, opening doors for future rock bands. They were pioneers, and pioneers must make certain sacrifices. I've read so many tidbits about Beyond. Ka Kui was the smartest guy.

Remember 淘氣雙子星? Paul hated it to death. He bitched about it to Ka Kui, but Ka Kui told him to stick with it and do something for the band and said its not so bad cause their songs were 主題曲 and also 片尾曲. Ka Kui then told Paul he could sing 大地 as consolation. He understood that in order to achieve his musical and worldly goals, sacrifices had to be made.

Ka Keung complained to Ka Kui that their manager forced him to go to some dude's birthday party. Ka Keung was pissed, but Ka Kui told him to chill and to look at the big picture and even said don't worry he'll write a song as revenge. That's where the song 比面派對 came from!

Ka Kui is so cool man. He was like a zen master as well as a rocker. Awesome.