"We are in play fever": 50 years of Karat

The band Karat celebrated their 50th birthday in their hometown of Berlin - with a concert at the Babylon cinema not far from Alexanderplatz. In addition to the great hits from the GDR era, the evening also featured brand new songs: the new album "Hohe Himmel" was released for the birthday. Singer Claudius Dreilich said to the several hundred fans: "We're in play fever. The new music ignites us all up here."

The audience was particularly enthusiastic about the big hits from the GDR era: many of the fans stood up and waved their arms during the legendary song "Über sieben Brücken musst Du gehn" from 1978. The hit "Albatros" was also greeted with huge cheers and loud clapping.

Karat, one of the most successful rock bands in the GDR, had also invited a number of GDR celebrities to the audience, including Olympic figure skating champion Katarina Witt, singer Dirk Michaelis ("Als ich fortging") and guitarist Dieter Hertrampf from the Puhdys.

The band performed for the first time at the "Otto Buchwitz" Kulturhaus in Heidenau near Dresden on February 22, 1975 - although none of the musicians who once performed at the first Karat concert are still on stage.

Only three years after their debut, the band made it to the top: Karat won the Grand Prix at the International Schlager Festival in Dresden in 1978 with "Über sieben Brücken musst du gehn". The single made it to number 2 in the GDR's annual hit parade - behind "König der Welt", another ballad by Karat.