Story and photos By GRACE CHEN from The Star Online
DIKIR Barat. What’s that? Most people are not familiar with dikir barat, but they don’t know what they are missing.
The sounds of dikir barat may not be a regular feature in the Top 40s but watching just one live performance is all it takes to get one hooked to this traditional performing art.
The dikir barat is said to have developed from a popular wedding dance among the Siamese (Thais) and Kelantanese. Over the years, it has evolved to become a ritual in agricultural societies to celebrate the harvest season.
Moving to the groove: The awak awak are the ones who liven up the show with their choreographed hand movements and rhythmic clapping.
The word ‘dikir’ means prayers and ‘barat’ means west, which is where the northern Malaysians in the olden days view the geographical location of Thailand .
And as far as famous dikir barat personalities are concerned, one name is prominent – Halim Yazid.
The 48-year-old cultural officer at Universiti Malaya and a father of seven has produced seven albums and four VCDs under his name. His album ‘Innovasi’ released in 2001 has since sold 20,000 copies.
Halim’s prowess as a tukang karut, the main person who will sing in response to the call of the opposing team, makes him a highly popular performer in Kelantan and Terengganu. As such, he can be paid up to RM4,000 for a 3-hour performance.
According to Halim. a tukang karutm must have an inborn talent for poetry, an indepth knowledge of current issues, a good sense of humour and, of coures, a strong stage presence.
“Karut does not mean ‘nonsense’. In the dikir barat sense, it means ‘spontaneous pantun’ (poetry). The most important criterion for a tukang karut is to be able to berpantun, that is, to respond poetically and spontaneously,” he said.
Tempo: The gong is an everpresent instrument in the musical line-up of a dikir barat troupe.
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