2007-01-13
Dikir Barat From Wikipedia
Dikir Barat is a form of singing. The Origins of Dikir Barat is debatable, but most would accept it to be from Southen Thailand or Northen Penisula Malaysia.
In an agricultural society,the dikir barat was performed as a ritual or celebration of the rice harvest season.Today, dikir barat performances are mainly for entertainment but competitions between Dikir Barat groups are also held.
Currently,the state of Malaysia which is Kelantan and Terengganu are perhaps two places where Dikir Barat is still performed actively on many levels.
The Composition of a Dikir Barat Group
The basic elements of a Dikir Barat Group are the two front men, the Juara and the Tukang Karut. A Dikir Barat group can be of any size.
The Juara is the singer of the group and he will usually open the performance of his or her group followed by the Tukang Karut. Unlike the Juara, the Tukang Karut will be interacting with the audience with his or her wit.
The more engaging a Tukang Karut is the more effective he or she is as a performer. The Juara would be one with the melodious voice.
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History of Dikir Barat
Much research has been done to find the real history of Dikir barat in Malaysia.
According to historical sources, Dikir Barat is based on a dance called “Tarian Patung Inai” that was very popular among Siam and Kelantan Society around 1800 to 1940. Then Pak Leh Tapang (Hj. Salleh) changes it to Dikir Barat.
Tarian Patung Inai is a traditional dance that is presented in a wedding ceremony where a leader (Tok Jogha) sings a song and then followed in unison by other members in the Dikir Barat group. The music of Dikir Barat follows the rhythm of “rebab” or “rebana Sunda”. This activity has been a must when a wedding ceremony was held in Malay villages.
Dikir Barat is also connected with “Dikir Laba” or better known as “Dikir Punjab”. “Dikir Punjab” is a play in Punjab language (Hindustan) or in Arabic language and has a very close connection with “Qawwali”. “Qawwali” is a very popular culture among Indian. In Dikir Laba, the members of the group will sing a song and try to follow the rhythms by moving their body. They must raise their voice very high.
No matter what kind the dikir it is, Tok Jogho has a very big responsibility to make the song alive.
In year 1948, Pak Leh Tapang changed the way Patung Inai is played by adopting some of the elements from Dikir Laba and Dikir Punjab. The word “Barat (west)” is derived from the nickname given by the Kelantanese to the Siamese society.
Source: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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