Video of Taiwanese music flash mob goes viral

Want China Times, CNA 2013-07-23

Two of singers take part in the flash mob at Taipei 101. (Internet Photo)

A video featuring a flash mob of over 100 music lovers singing and playing Taiwanese traditional folk songs at Taipei 101 has gone viral and received many positive responses, the initiators said on Monday.

The 10-minute video, titled Flash Mob Chorus in Taipei 101, Taiwan, has attracted nearly 1.1 million clicks on YouTube since it was posted on July 8, said Li Chien-fu, a Taiwanese folk singer and one of the three behind the concept.

"We just did it for fun. We wanted to surprise people without any commercial or political motivation," Li said at a press conference on Monday, held to satisfy media curiosity about the flash mob after the group had rejected previous interview requests.

Seeing so many clicks in such a short time, Li said he was impressed how a short film could be widely disseminated so quickly.

Freda Ma, a former folk singer and Taiwanese director, also expressed gratitude for viewer support and said that organizing the flash mob, without any commercial tie-ins with Taipei 101 or any other organization, was really rewarding.

"We had been practicing since late April. I've been so moved by the mob's members and the reaction of the audience," Ma said.

The reaction of those who saw the flash mob in person was really interesting, agreed James Lee, the project's other initiator.

He cited one man in particular who was standing with his arms folded when the flash mob first appeared, but then started to sing aloud and have fun with the group.

Asked if another music flash mob was in the works, the initiators said they had no plans for one at present, but they were not about to say if something was in fact on the drawing board.

"If it were revealed, then it wouldn't be a surprise," Li said.

Christina Sung, the chairwoman of Taipei Financial Center Corp, the company that manages the skyscraper, was happy that her company was involved.

"I'm glad that Taipei 101 could be part of this project, and we would like to provide this platform for other good causes," Sung said.