Luo Songsong

    songsongluo@126.com

    HAS something been bugging you? Sing about it! That’s the idea behind the Complaints Choir — a concept that originated with two Finnish artists where people use songs to voice their dissatisfaction and turn negative energy into a positive force.

    The idea has caught on like wildfire, spreading across the globe, even to Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Finally, the concept made its way to Shenzhen.

    A group of young people, wearing uniform T-shirts and holding green file folders, sang their complaints out in OCT Contemporary Art Terminal (OCAT), Nanshan District, on July 13. The choir also has several more concerts around the city planned.

    They sing about complaints that many Shenzheners can relate to — intense workloads, crowded subway stations, skyrocketing property prices and air pollution. The lyrics are humorous and colorful, such as “Why do people have to be so mean? Why are people always hypocrites?”

    The process of composing the lyrics was democratic. As an art project of the eighth Shenzhen Sculpture Biennale organized by OCAT, visitors wrote their complaints on exhibition hall walls, which were later rearranged into a four-minute song.

    Compared with the performances held in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, the debut in Shenzhen was a less-activist movement. Christine Chen, one of the organizers, said the chorus simply intends to spread positive energy, hope and confidence in the young city and to help people get their concerns off their chests.

    “They aren’t professional musicians, but they still perform confidently,” said Chen. The chorus has about 20 participants from various fields, and most of them are in their early 20s.

    Shenzhen is a young and dynamic city full of possibilities. To appeal to young people, composers integrated hip-pop and rap music into the song. “The music has a relaxed feeling and positive energy,” said Shawty Yi, composer of the chorus.

    The organizers believe that everyone — be they rich businesspeople, grass-roots workers or students of every age — has their own problems but should be positive and try to live their best every day.

    The chorus will perform at Window of the World at 5 p.m., July 27. Two other concerts will be held Aug. 3 and 17.