Blind singers in tune with society

Band members inspire peers to overcome disability and spread their wings. Zhang Yi and Hu Meidong report from Fuzhou.

Every Saturday night, music lover Huang Yanping gets together with friends and logs on to a livestreaming platform to give a concert lasting three hours. Sometimes, the friends are so excited that they play till midnight.

On the screen, six people sit huddled together with microphones in front of them. They are all visually impaired and most can barely see. Over the years, members of the band in Fuzhou, Fujian province, have included masseurs, piano tuners, computer teachers and music producers. For the love of music, they come together to play as a group.

The name of the band is See, and its aim is to encourage visually impaired people to integrate into society. "We cannot see, but we can be seen by others. I hope more people will be brave enough to walk under the sun and into the crowd," Huang said.

The 37-year-old composer and keyboard player is the soul of the outfit, and he sings and coaches the others. Since he launched the band in 2009, Huang has seen members come and go, with many returning to the massage industry, a profession that attracts a high number of visually impaired people.

"My goal is to keep the band going. I hope blind people can find comfort from singing and pursue their musical dreams. I also hope more people can see us via the band," he said.