Friday, December 19, 2008

My Story

Photobucket Photobucket
I still remember when I studied in KL back to 1985, I love to listen a lot of English song in the 7os.I listen to Micheal Jackson,New Kids on the Block,Boy George , Alphaville, Depeche Mode,Kylie Minoque ,...mostly RnB and Pop.At that moment I’m not interested in rock song at all. The reason I hooked with English song because I’m not Chinese educated. I do listen some Cantonese numbers as well-Jackie Cheung,Alan Tam,Leslie Cheung.
Until at the age of 13, my father decided to move back to hometown in Kuala Kubu Bharu(near Frase Hill) my life is totally changed, from a city boy to kampong boy. At first I’m not use to the life in KKB.For the first two year, I’m not use to it. When I’m in KL, most of the time I stay indoor. I play video game ,go Sungai Wang shopping ,watching cinema ,swimming in a proper swimming pool, taking Tong Fong bus, go karaoke but now my life is different in KKB , most of the time outdoor. Life is pretty slow, no shopping complex, no karaoke, no video game centre. Riding bicycle and explore every jungle. Life is quite independent where not much material things to rely on. Kids here are less luxury than KL kids.
From this moment I know 2 friends , Cho and Che.They introduce me to BEYOND. From this moment, I fall in love with this band with my first album purchased, Beyond IV (cassette).From time to time I upgrade my Beyond collection, from Arabian Dancing Girls to Secret Police.....so on and so on. I still recall, we got a Beyond fans community here. We always gather and talk about the song, their vision and dreams. We exchanged Beyond poster, picture, flash card and cassette.It becomes very aggresive until Che bought his first kapok RM50 guitar. Excitement spread to everyone. Nobody knows how to strum the guitar until Che's brother Ah Siong volunteered himself to learn the guitar follow by my brother Ah Seng ,Ken and Onn.Im the last one to learn the guitar.Ah Siong is a fast learner, within few months he can play many songs ,many chords. everybody amazed by it. For my surprise, they are so serious about the guitar scale .They practise day and night but yet can’t play like Beyond. One day my brother, Ken and Onn decided to get a guitar teacher, unfortunately, there’s no guitar teacher in KKB.They travel to KL by bike just to attend half an hour guitar lesson.Ken on Drum and Onn plays guitar.I really salute their passion about their commitment in learning Beyond's song.From that moment we gather very often, singing Beyond's song, act like Beyond, talk Beyond, hair like Beyond.
We all sharing same view where Beyond is our music idol not only for theirs song but generally we respect them because they are the only artist in Hong Kong during 80s who never copy any foreign song. They always bring us message that we as human being must emphasize on peace, kindness, human right and political freedom, brotherhood and righteousness and salvation unlike most HK artist who always make fast money by only singing love ballad without any vision and out of tune! I think Beyond's message is very meaningful and straight forward to the world ,to the people and to the industry. They gain a lot of respect from the teenagers at that time. We started debate on the matter almost everyday.Im glad Im part of it.I wish their vison and passion will continue endlessly.
Today as time passing by , open a guitar shop is my dreams and passion.I have successfully open my guitar shop on 2002.I will always remember what Wong Ka Kui emphasize - keep the faith , believe in yourself and be confidence.Even he's not a saint or any holyman but his lyris has been pushing me to become more independent and creative.I always feel very proud of theirs song.I even spread his message to all the youngster in order to keep them to become a good gentlemen with vision , love and noble.Together we uphold this spirit till the last breath , PEACE!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

90年Beyond『萬人勁Rock音樂會』

90年Beyond『萬人勁Rock音樂會』



Let's go back to the past, imagine Ka Kui still alive, let's enjoy the MTV and keep Beyond Spirit alive .

黃家強《她他》國語專輯

黃家強《她他》國語專輯

Wong Ka Keung released his new single album.

別了家駒十五載 舊日的足跡 座談會

《別了家駒十五載 舊日的足跡 座談會》

BEYOND 完全地愛吧 (日文版)

Beyond - 完全地愛吧 (日文版)



This is one of Beyond music video shoot in Japan. Beyond consider the first band in Hong Kong break thru the Japanese market 15 years ago .Their composition and music has influence some of the famous Japanese rock band today.Believe me Beyond song is accepted worldwide because of the Rock and Roll spirit that show no boundaries.Unfortunately their glory shorten when Ka Kui pass away .

Beyond - 可否衝破

Beyond - 可否衝破



This is one of the joyful song composed by Ka Kui. Beyond always emphasize in happy go lucky , friendship ,peace and simple inspiration.If you check out the lyric carefully ,there's always a meaning behind each song. -Ray

Beyond- (光辉岁月) MV

Beyond-Glorious years(光辉岁月)MV


Yes, is about Nelson Mandela's struggle for freedom in South Africa. Another political motivated song composed by Ka Kui.This song paying tribute to the first black president in South Africa.Ka Kui is a very far sighted man, Glorious Year is a very good example of Beyond philoshophy.They always support freedom and democracy in third world countries.Unless some of the band or artist around, always sing love ballad to make fast money, Beyond did something unusual.They sing something different....politic , freedom , self esteem , confidence, love and peace.That's why they become LEGEND. - Ray

Monday, June 16, 2008

WE LOVE BEYOND













Beyond was a famous rock band in Hong Kong that was founded in 1983. They have always identified with the people of Hong Kong, as reflected in their songs about social issues, pursuit of dreams, politics, and peace. Wong Ka Kui's " 海闊天空 (Boundless Oceans Vast Skies) & 光輝歲月(Glorious Years) are two of their best known works.
Beyond stands out in the Chinese music industry due to the fact that they are one of the very few groups who compose and write their own music.
Formed in 1983, the original members were Wong Ka Kui (vocals, guitar), Yip Sai Wing (vocals, drums), Lee Wing Chiu (Bass) and William Tang (Guitar). Ka Kui's younger brother Wong Ka Keung (vocals, bass) joined in 1984 followed by Paul Wong Koon Chung (vocals, lead guitar) in 1985. Other members for brief periods have included Owen Kwan,Chan See On and Lau Chi Yuen. Lau Chi Yuen left the band in 1988 to pursue studies in the US (though he made a return later playing instruments and helping to produce 1998's Surprise).
Some of Beyond's very early works are in English, such as "Longway without a Friend" and "Myth". Beyond were initially part of the "band boom" which occurred in Hong Kong in the 1980s, alongside other groups such as Tai Chi, Tat Ming Pair, Blue Jeans, Fundamental, and Raidas.
After couple of flops, Beyond started to gain popular following the release of the song Dai Dei. Fellow underground musicians started to accuse Beyond of abandoning the rock and roll genre of music, gravitating towards pop. Beyond was unfazed and the few next albums saw several of the most important songs in the history of Hong Kong music.
One of the songs, Glorious Age (Chinese: 光輝歲月), is about racism and the struggle of Nelson Mandela in South Africa. The song, at the time, was a fresh breath of air in the midst of saccharin sweet love songs that were dominating the Hong Kong music scene. Wong Ka Kui won the best lyrics award in the Hong Kong Grammy-equivalent award ceremony. The guitar solo opening for the song paints the loneliness of Mandela's struggle. The guitar solo went on to be one of the most recognizable electric guitar rift in Hong Kong rock music.
In 1991, Beyond released the song Amani in the album Delibrate. The song Amani was written by Wong Ka Kui during Beyond's trip to Tanzania. The lyrics of the song are in Chinese interspersed with words from the Swahili language. The title of the song, Amani means peace in Swahili. As suggested by the title, the song sings about world peace in the plight of the war-ravaged countries in Africa. The song outro of morphing Kakui's to a kid's voice reflects the plea for peace, especially from the next generations. Unlike most of other Beyond's songs, this song is most written with open chords in the key of C Major. The simplicity of the structure and the common key instill the feeling of innocence into the song.


In June 1993, Wong Ka Kui sustained massive head injuries after falling from a broken stage on a Fuji Television game show in Japan. Wong Ka Kui fell into a coma and died one week later. He was 31 years old. His funeral procession caused traffic in various major city streets of Hong Kong to grind to a standstill, and almost every famous Hong Kong Cantopop singer was in attendance.

The Japanese will never understand, for us and for Hong Kong, that the incident was not merely about the loss of an artist. It was about losing a music revolutionary, and an age of time. - Paul Wong on the death of Ka Kui
At the time of his death, they were signed to Japanese record label Amuse, having already released several Japanese language singles and an album. The following album, This Is Love I, initially intended to be the first of two parts, was released the day after Wong Ka Kui's death.

There was debate as to whether the remaining three members would continue the band without him, but speculation ended when they reappeared on the 30th of November 1993 in Hong Kong at the Composer's Tribute Night concert. After Ka Kui's death, Beyond's first album produced was 2nd Floor Back Suite (二樓後座). Within this album was a stirring solo tribute to Ka Kui that was written, composed and sung by his younger brother, Ka Keung.

The post-Ka Kui albums have a more 'alternative' feel to the progressive rock sound that preceded them. 1997's Please Let Go of Your Hands (請將手放開)(Hong Kong post-97 sentiment abounding) and 1995's grunge-inspired Sound are examples of this.

They played their last concert in Hong Kong under the Beyond name on 1 February 2005, before embarking on a world tour, including stops in Toronto, Canada and various cities in mainland China, after which the band officially disbanded in their last stop in Singapore and Malaysia.

At present, the band has parted ways, with each member pursuing his own solo career.


This is Wong Ka Kui favourite American Fender Stratocaster Guitar and UK guitar Amplifier display at the recent exhibition in Hong Kong.