Troupe brings the message directly from mainland migrant workers
Few songs have been written addressing the issues of China's 200 million migrant workers, and among them even fewer still have been written by migrant workers themselves.
The New Workers Art Troupe, formed 10 years ago by migrant workers Sun Heng and Xu Duo, who were later joined by Duan Yu, Sun Yuan and Jiang Guoliang, is a special force in the music scene that plays ballads telling the stories of workers' lives.
The troupe will perform at Grappa's Cellar in Central next Thursday, featuring music that touches on socio-political issues surrounding the migrant workers, including songs about their homesickness and their children transferring from one school to another as their parents move from factory to factory.
The New Workers troupe has funded schools and museums for migrant workers and their children with the royalties from their five studio albums.
The proceeds of the concert in Hong Kong also will go to Half the Sky Public Education, which develops programmes that benefit migrant workers. The charity is a collective committed to empowering women, especially vulnerable ones, on the mainland.
Jing Wong, singer-songwriter of Hong Kong's indie record label People Mountain People Sea, will be a guest performer at the troupe's show.
Tickets are priced HK$230, or HK$180 if purchased before Sunday at halftheskychinaefbevent.eventbrite.com
