Karat

The Berlin cult band KARAT celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025. 50 years - that's two generations and almost a lifetime. There are only a few bands of note that can look back on such a long history. Most of them - let's be honest - have long since become nostalgic cover bands of themselves.
KARAT have taken a different path, their own path: That of permanent search, constant movement and self-questioning. There have been a few breaks in this five-decade process. Musicians who for years had a decisive influence on the band's course and sound made way for new characters and new ideas. A permanent fresh cell cure, a constant rejuvenation process. Some of those celebrating the band's 50th birthday today come from different generations and offer a broad spectrum of life experience. And despite this, or rather because of this, the idea behind it has always remained young.

This unique band development as an open creative system is exemplified by the position of frontman, which Herbert Dreilich held for three decades. He celebrated the band's greatest successes and gave them a face, so to speak. His son has taken his place for two decades. He silenced the skeptics long ago and has proven that he not only looks like his father on the outside, but has also inherited his creative energy. But Claudius Dreilich is by no means a copy; with his vocals, his charisma and his nonetheless approachable extroversion, he has become an artistic personality. He can be just as much a driving force for the band today as his father was for 30 years.

Over 50 years of KARAT are first and foremost the many great hits - all of which are now established classics. But they fit wonderfully into the here and now because they are timeless in the true sense of the word:
The ashes of the fire are not worshipped here, but its embers are carried on. KARAT are five decades of German-German music history. A number of milestones were created in the very first decade, they were honored with gold records in West Germany, they were guests on "Wetten dass..." and Peter Maffay celebrated his biggest hit to date with the Karat cover "Über sieben Brücken musst du gehn" - all of which was not only highly gratifying, but a sensation - for a band from the East. The second decade begins with the award of the Goldene Europa (1986) and ends in a long since reunified Germany with the tenth KARAT album "Die geschenkte Stunde" (1995) - three years earlier, guitarist Bernd Römer and his colleagues bring the new keyboardist Martin Becker into the band. The third decade combines highlights such as an appearance on "Rockpalast" and a tour with the Babelsberg Film Orchestra, but it ends tragically: Herbert Dreilich succumbs to cancer in 2004.

A new era begins with the fourth decade, because with Claudius Dreilich as the new singer, KARAT experience the stroke of luck that the band has reinterpreted the difficult farewell as an opportunity for the future. And they remain successful: in addition to many of their own tours, they are part of the "Ostrock Klassik" concerts, bring in an a cappella women's quintet for a Christmas tour, collaborate with the Kiel Philharmonic Orchestra and are delighted with the interpretations of their songs by (among others) Helene Fischer, Chris de Burgh and Max Raabe. Last but not least, they were once again awarded a Golden Record (2010 for "Vierzehn Karat") and five years later the Golden Hen.

In the last decade so far, KARAT have also been in the fast lane, finding a new distribution partner for their new albums in Universal Music and even a pandemic can't stop this band: KARAT returned from the Covid-19 lockdown with car and hotel room tours and around 40 concerts with limited audience numbers. The fifth decade also marks another line-up change: Daniel Bätge and Heiko Jung are the new additions on bass and drums respectively. The seasoned musicians are known from their collaboration with Udo Lindenberg, Wolfgang Niedecken, Jan Josef Liefers and Clueso, for example. Now they are bringing a new level of energy to KARAT with groove, passion and musical skill.