"Music is the one language in the world that everybody understands,across all cultures,religions and beliefs- music for body,heart and soul." - Karunesh

With music increasingly serving as an anecdote to today’s shallow materialism, the name Karunesh, so familiar yet so strange to us, has swept through the music industry. His albums were once branded as the New Bandari by canny peddlers and some of his works even make their way into many yoga gyms around the world as a kind of soft background music. To show their genuine fondness, many Chinese fans nicknamed him Lao ka or Old K.

“Zen Breakfast,” the famous album that delicately binds and thrills the heart of Chinese music fans, is frequently passed as a music masterpiece released by a mysterious Chinese talent. Few people know that it is actually the 10th album by Karunesh, an out-and-out native German who revels in Oriental culture.

The cover of the album - Zen Breakfast

The cover of the album, which features two ancient Chinese people enjoying tea under a pine tree, caught the interest of many Lao Ka fans. It is said that the design of the cover originates form an ancient Chinese story. Once upon a time in the woods, an immature youngster met with a wise old man and asked him for enlightenment. “OK, let’s chat over tea,” the old man replied. Hardly had they taken a seat when the youngster began to pour out his questions. Without any response, the old man sat there in silence and slowly served the tea. Suddenly the youngster observed that the teacup was already full while the old man seemed completely unaware and continued pouring. Soon afterward the old man’s robe was drenched by the overflowing tea. “Don’t you see the cup is full? Why do you still keep pouring the tea?” the youngster asked, puzzled . The wise old man quipped with a tender smile lighting his eyes: “Don’t you see your brain is full? Why do you still keep asking me questions?”