TOWN House was packed with more than 150 people, who landed in this downtown Cairo gallery to listen to the Egyptian premiere of the Mashakel (Problems) choir, which was formed by three friends: Sarah Refki, May Moataz Attallah and Salam Youssri. An intimate and cathartic atmosphere was immediately created when the audience were invited to take the floor and express their grievances by joining in the singing. Although the singing may not have been perfect, it was spontaneous and sincere, while the choir did their best to conduct the audience. Sarah said that they imported the idea from Finland, with her two friends composing lyrics inspired by the Finnish people 's depression with the appalling weather there. “This Finnish idea has become very popular in many European countries,” she explains. M a s h a k el had previously performed in two other African and A r a b countries: South Africa and Palestine. This choir has been inspired by pop art, successfully expressing the agonies of ordinary people, especially the younger generation. Sarah came across the Finnish originators of the choir online and spent seven months exchanging e-mails with them, before launching the idea in Cairo. Next, Sarah and her two Egyptian friends sent an open invitation online to young people who found the idea interesting. The Egyptian trio were delighted when their Facebook site attracted the attention of many people of every age, even people in their sixties and older. Salam, the choir's stage director, says they appreciated the fact that everyone in the audience had problems. “That's why we invited them to sing along with us, in order to unburden themselves of their social, economic and personal burdens,” he told the local Radio and TV magazine . Salam and his friends are planning to go on tour, visiting other parts of Egypt. They're also dreaming of expressing their grievances in the form of a CD.
