The US and WTO up against The Wall

Workers-rights combo, Black Hand Nakasi, will be performing at The Wall this coming Sunday to celebrate the release of its latest album, Taiwan Buffalo vs. WTO. PHOTO COURTESY OF BHN

Workers-rights Black Hand Nakasi (黑手那卡西), will be unleashing its musical ire this Sunday, when the nine member folk/rock group will be celebrating the release of its recent album, Taiwan Buffalo vs. WTO (台灣牛vs. WTO) with a special concert at Taipei's popular rock venue, The Wall.

Formed the early 1990s by members of the Informational Center of Labor Education (台灣勞工教育資訊發展中心) who figured Taiwan's workers needed a musical voice, the group has since become a regular feature at labor demonstrations up and down the country.

Along impromptu performances at protest marches the group also performs at labor-union meetings and works closely with organizations such as the Collective of Sex Workers and Supporters (日日春關懷互助協會) and the Taiwan Association for Victims of Occupational Injuries (工作傷害受害人協會).

Making long-player debut in 1998 with Lucky as Shit (福氣個屁), an album which featured a Taiwanese-language version of L'Internationale, the backing vocals for which were gutturally delivered by 30 recently laid-off factory workers, the band's latest album is only its second release.

Hitting store shelves late last month, the album -- the cover art for which shows the Taiwan Buffalo giving the WTO (in the guise of Uncle Sam) a good whooping -- sees the combo crooning in its folk/rock guitar driven style about the unemployment, industrial accidents and workers' rights.

As the title suggests, much of the melodic angst that appears on Taiwan Buffalo vs. WTO is aimed at the WTO. A blend of mild rock and folk, the album sees the combo in fine form throughout. Blending raucous rabble rousing anthems such as WTO What a Bad Thing (WTO 怨歎喔!) and Taiwan Buffalo (台灣牛) with musically melancholy moments like Wandering in the Street(流浪台北的停車管理員) -- a slow meandering ode to the traffic warden -- it also features traditional Taiwanese folksy numbers like Sacrifice (伴隨一生的傷痕), a tune with a poignant message about industrial accidents.

As always, Black Hand Nakasi's performance will be more than simply a gig. With nine members and numerous guests expected to take to the stage this Sunday, extreme political rhetoric will, no doubt, loom large.

Black Hand Nakasi (黑手那卡西) will be appearing at The Wall at 9pm on Sunday. The venue is at B1, 200 Roosevelt Rd, Sec 4, Taipei (台北市羅斯福路4段200號B1). Tickets cost NT$200 at the door.