Considered one of the great Chinese rock bands, Beyond broke up following the death of frontman Wong Ka-kui in 1993 in a stage accident in Japan. Remaining members, including his younger brother, bassist Steve Wong Ka-keung, and guitarist Paul Wong Koon-chung, embarked on solo careers, with Ka-keung, setting up his music company, Picasso Horses.
In August, the 45-year-old bassist will perform as a special guest at the New Generation Series concerts during the International Arts Carnival. Dubbed Gen S@HK21C, the line-up is designed to showcase local music talent, including Pong Nan, Ketchup, Louis Cheung Kai-chung and hip hop duo Fama. They will also play the World Expo in Shanghai as part of the Hong Kong Week programme in October.
You've probably encountered a number of young musicians who say they grew up with your music. How do you feel when you hear this?
I'm really happy. It's a kind of recognition and I think people say that because they respect me. It makes me realise that I've sown many seeds over the years and all the effort I put into making music is worth it. It's great to have fans who still listen to our music after more than a decade. Some have become musicians or songwriters, which is touching.
You are going to put out an instrumental record soon. What gave you the idea?
I like instrumental music. Sometimes, I prefer songs without lyrics because I want some space to let my imagination run free. I want to create music that can express my feelings without lyrics and communicate with people who don't speak our language. If I sing in Chinese, the audience will be mainly Chinese. If I make an instrumental album, the listeners could be from anywhere in the world. Compared with vocal music, I believe instrumentals have a farther reach. I want to move more people in the world with my music.