MUSIC AND SOCIO-POLITICAL change have often enjoyed a harmonious relationship. From Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan and Bob Marley, protest singers and songs have accompanied social unrest. Now, local band Gayamyan have created a soundtrack to their interpretation of our own shifting times.
For the past two years, the band have co-operated with the Zuni Icosahedron drama group on a series of pieces entitled East Wing, West Wing. The show reflects on Hong Kong's political situation.
Directors Edward Lam and Mathias Woo say they were keen to have the band involved from the start. 'Gayamyan are unique in the Hong Kong pop scene,' Lam says. 'They're socially and politically conscious. They don't shy away from expressing their views.
'Our show is a political satire, based on what's happening and going to happen from now to the September 12 Legco election. We want to inspire, entertain and stimulate thoughts about what exactly democracy is, Hong Kong style.'
The four members of Gayamyan have played together since 2000. Before that, singer Cedric Chan Ho-fung and guitarist Rodney Ma Lap-yin were in the band Luk Ming Chun. They recruited bassist Alex Li Sze-chit and drummer and mixing/recording specialist 'Fei Jai' Ming.
Gayamyan literally translates from Cantonese as 'fake voice singer'. 'Because we know we're not engaged in any particular style - we're not grunge or hip-hop or whatever - we don't want to have our music stereotyped,' Chan says. 'So we chose this name. Just as a person can change his face and makeup all the time, we change our sound.'