“Complaint Choir” in Tokyo Shares the Malice

In the digital age, if you have to voice a complaint, be it about another person, a store, or if you just want to vent, many people turn to blogs. This is apparently not good enough for a group of individuals in Tokyo who have taken to the streets in their very own “Complaint Choir.”

Derived from the Finnish word Valituskuoro, where the concept originated, a Complaint Choir is simply a group of people who get together and sing about whatever is bothering them. Although it seems it might be nothing more than a garbled mess of sounds, the complaints are arranged into song and rehearsed to perfection.

Take for example the following video, which features the Tokyo Complaint Choir. Sporting protective masks and backed by an impressive musical line-up such as tambourine and accordion, this specific group of individuals sings about a wide variety of everyday annoyances, such as others taking credit for your work and the difficulty surrounding the proper use of an iPhone. It really is quite interesting.

Don’t think Tokyo has all the fun, though. Complaint Choirs have sprung up everywhere, turning this once Finnish artistic treat into a global phenomenon. Complaint Choirs now exist in Birmingham, England; Chicago, Illinois; and Copenhagen, Denmark.

(Link)

By Lycurgus on 09-01-2010