words karena yeung & natasha sajnani

If you are wondering why the name ‘Karat’ sounds familiar, glance down at the brand name of the toilet bowl next time you need to visit the ‘throne’ room. There you might see what inspired Terry, bandleader and guitarist, to call his band when he had to ‘make water’ – his urine enabled him to find the name he was looking for. Singer and lone female band member Cherry explains the symbolism: “He saw the name and thought it looked cool, the meaning behind it is that guys have to go there every day. It’s like a ‘must’ for them, a necessity, just as music can be a necessity.”

This energetic funk band was formed when the two founding members, Cherry and Terry, met at university. Then they came across drummer Wing at a concert they were at as part of the audience. And bassist and joker of the group Garile emphasizes his undying love for Karat: “I’ve been longing to join the group – it’s like a dream come true for me,” he says, his melodramatic gestures provoking a general burst of laughter.

Laughter is a hallmark of this band and defines their shared experience. Their interview with bc is spiced with the merriment that, it seems, can’t help but weave through their music, which they describe as “fun, happy, groovy, different and improvisatory”.

When asked what their songs are about, the others look at Cherry with sly smiles before Garile yells out the secret: “The lyrics are her blog!” Lyrics writer Cherry denies the accusation and explains, “The very first song I wrote is about how I regard my love life, and that was just because I was still young at the time. But then I grew up a bit in these last few years, and our new songs are mostly about how we should treat our lives and our experiences in daily life. Every song is different. Our latest song is called World City, and it’s about my dream of travelling the world at a time when I don’t have the ability to go.”

Aside from being one of the rare funk bands in Hong Kong, what makes Karat unique are the varying roles band members play in real life. Cherry is an English teacher, Terry a banker (and “party boy” in the words of his fellow band members), Garlie is a graphics designer, and Wing works in tourism.

“We love music and enjoy it just like teenagers like the atmosphere in clubbing,” Terry says. When asked about their philosophy and message, he cites the song Natural High. “Most of the people in Hong Kong know how to earn money non-stop! They just want to work all day. We also know that it’s a must to earn a living, but we love music, so we refuse to put it aside or put it away. That’s our ‘natural high’ – music.”

Do they ever argue? “Ha ha… what do you think?” is the response. “Well, of course we do have arguments but we try to solve them. We get straight to the point and talk it out. Sometimes there isn’t a solution, so we put it aside and cool down and the problem will fade.”
Like any band, Karat has had its fair share of off-beat experiences.

Cherry, known within the band as “the queen of performance”, has to contend with the pressures of being not only a female vocalist but also beautiful. “Many guys like to take photos of Cherry. Once she was wearing a very short skirt, and these guys took a photo under her skirt.” Which leaves Cherry unfazed, as if focusing on the group’s motto: ‘Have fun. Love music. Be bold. And express yourself.’

Karat may not have released an album yet, but they’re working on it. “The problem is that it’s much harder for us because in Hong Kong people only support the mainstream stuff and we sing English songs. And overseas, there are too many competitors.” In the meantime, the band has plans to perform internationally – Garile hopes in New York. There are also plans in the works to join forces with another band, Papa Jack, in China. “We want to travel the world,” they say. “We want to become famous. Then, we can release an album and see it selling at HMV. And earn a lot of money!”

At Underground 47 at The Cavern (LKF Tower, 55 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong) on August 25 Karat will perform along with Transition (UK), P.M. Creative and Elf Fatima. The show starts at 8pm and door entry is $80. Call 9486 4648 for enquiries.