Why '90s star Eric Kot wants Hong Kong to do more for performing arts
Sporting a full beard and a shaved head under his ever-present baseball cap, he has a certain mischievous air that is familiar to fans of the beloved 1990s Cantopop duo Softhard, of which he was half.
Softhard stood out with their blend of hip-hop and satire. Comprising Jan Lamb and Kot, they were a revolutionary act making witty, fast-paced tracks that mocked pop culture and societal norms.
Kot met Lamb at the Caritas Bianchi College of Careers while both were studying design. They worked as sales representatives and window dressers at fashion retailer Esprit, and joined Commercial Radio together as DJs in 1988, where they formed Softhard.
Rising from radio DJs to television personalities, their avant-garde slapstick style made them cult icons. Beyond music, they hosted hit TV shows and influenced generations of Hong Kong artists.
Eric Kot prepares a bowl of congee in 1994 as he promotes a new morning programme for Hong Kong's Commercial Radio Two. Photo: SCMP
They parted ways in the late 1990s and branched out to individual projects, but their legacy endures.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
14 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong welcomes hit Mughal exhibition with more than 100 works of art
An exhibition featuring more than 100 works of art such as jewellery, weaponry and fragments of architectural history from the Mughal court – a Muslim dynasty encompassing most of present-day South Asia – opened in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Advertisement The Hong Kong Palace Museum is the first stop on the travelling show's itinerary and the only one in Asia. The original London edition, which attracted 150,000 visitors, concluded earlier this year. Other destinations for the 'Treasures of the Mughal Court from the Victoria and Albert Museum' exhibition have yet to be announced. 'We are also looking at the link with China – that's one of the themes that runs throughout the show here in Hong Kong which we've only hinted at in London,' said Emily Hannam, curator of the South Asia collection at the British institution. 'Although there were no diplomatic relations between the Chinese court and the Mughal court, we look at three distinct areas of this connection throughout the show,' she said, referring to ceramics, jade and paintings. Advertisement According to Hannam, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London has been collecting Mughal art since its founding in the 1850s and boasts one of the most important collections outside of India. The exhibition traces the development of Mughal art through the reigns of three emperors – Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan.
South China Morning Post
14 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Your Hong Kong weekend drinks guide for August 7-9
Bold choices are the theme of the weekend as we reach the peak of an extremely rainy summer. Singaporean concept Sago House arrives at Dead Poets to sling classics, while farm-to-bar concept Glass Gardener runs it back with seasonal classic twists at Gishiki Lounge. Close off the weekend by celebrating two years of Crushed Wine Bar with small-batch wines and free-flow pasta. Thursday, August 7 Sago House x Dead Poets Dead Poets at Central, Hong Kong. Photo: Handout What: Kick off your weekend at Dead Poets as the barber shop-slash-cocktail hotspot hosts the equally bold Sago House from Singapore. The latter is known for unconventional combinations and flavours in its signatures back home, such as the Just Right, which combines whisky, toasted oats, miso, Benedictine, lemon and cinnamon. Sago House will be slinging classics on the night, but expect a top-tier atmosphere for your night out. Where: Dead Poets, 41-49 Aberdeen Street, Central When: 8pm onwards Friday, August 8 Glass Gardener x Gishiki Lounge Glass Gardener in Hong Kong is helmed by Henry Ho (left) and Tony Hsu. Photo: Handout What: If you missed its first collaboration with Gishiki Lounge on July 17, nomadic farm-to-bar concept Glass Gardener are returning to Tai Kwun this Friday. Glass Gardener is helmed by Tony Hsu and Henry Ho, whose deep understanding of classic flavours and techniques are powering their seasonal twists on classics on offer alongside a menu of skewers and gyoza. Where: Gishiki Lounge, LG103, Tai Kwun, Block 1, Hollywood Road, Central When: 6pm till sold out Saturday, August 9 Crushed Wine Bar second anniversary
South China Morning Post
15 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Why '90s star Eric Kot wants Hong Kong to do more for performing arts
While there is nothing pretentious about an older man wearing a loose-fitting T-shirt and designer jeans, you cannot help but get a Master Roshi from Dragonball Z vibe from Eric Kot Man-fai. Sporting a full beard and a shaved head under his ever-present baseball cap, he has a certain mischievous air that is familiar to fans of the beloved 1990s Cantopop duo Softhard, of which he was half. Softhard stood out with their blend of hip-hop and satire. Comprising Jan Lamb and Kot, they were a revolutionary act making witty, fast-paced tracks that mocked pop culture and societal norms. Kot met Lamb at the Caritas Bianchi College of Careers while both were studying design. They worked as sales representatives and window dressers at fashion retailer Esprit, and joined Commercial Radio together as DJs in 1988, where they formed Softhard. Rising from radio DJs to television personalities, their avant-garde slapstick style made them cult icons. Beyond music, they hosted hit TV shows and influenced generations of Hong Kong artists. Eric Kot prepares a bowl of congee in 1994 as he promotes a new morning programme for Hong Kong's Commercial Radio Two. Photo: SCMP They parted ways in the late 1990s and branched out to individual projects, but their legacy endures.
