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C1: A 15-year old Teochew Opera Performer

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C1: A 15-year old Teochew Opera Performer

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Guiding questions for research

How does the performer get ready for the performance?

How does the performer move as she sings?

What is the size of the performer's headdress as compared to her head?

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A 15-Year-Old Opera Veteran Reviving a Disappearing Art

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D1: Video 4: Chinese Opera Instruments and Musicians

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D1: Video 4: Chinese Opera Instruments and Musicians

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Guiding questions for research:

How are the instruments held?

What is its size as compared to the musician?

How are the musicians seated on the stage? (e.g. Who sits in the middle? Who sits by the side?)

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Peking Opera instruments: Let's strike a chord

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C2: A 9-year old Teochew Opera Performer

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C2: A 9-year old Teochew Opera Performer

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Guiding Questions for research :

What else does a performer do besides singing?

What are some items that a performer holds?

How big or small are these items?

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Meet the 9-year-old who picked Teochew opera over ballet at the age of 3 | CNA Lifestyle

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Guiding questions for research :

How are the performers dressed?

Where are the musicians seated?

Who are some people present in the audience?

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I dreamt of painting this mural in Chinatown way back in Sept 2015, as a gift to my beloved Chinatown. See my blog Inspiration from Cantonese Opera. As a little boy, I followed my aunt to watch Cantonese Operas all around Chinatown. I had fond memories of the dazzling costumes, the realistic backdrops and props, and acrobatic fighting, all of which inspired the style of my art.

It took me three years to discover, navigate and connect with the right stakeholders in Chinatown before the painting could start. I remembered the beginning was hard when my cold calls to house owners and the authorities with my proposal was rejected. However, I was lucky to meet and made friends with people who believed in the idea. They helped me connect with the right stakeholders and rally for their support. Finally in April 2019, I painted the mural over 10 very hot and wet days. To make this dream come true more meaningful, I collaborated with the Community Chest to make this a fund raising event for various charities they support. As I had initiated and self-funded this project, 100% of all donations will go to the charities. To donate, please visit http://www.comchest.sg/yipyewchong

There are plenty of intricate details to appreciate in the mural, such as the actors/actresses' costumes, the backstage activities, the postures and expressions of the spectators, and the mobile food stalls that had arrived to catch the businesses of the spectators. I hope this colourful mural will delight both locals and tourists, the young and old and people of all races. I hope it has made Chinatown culturally more interesting and the street more beautiful. Thank you everyone for your support!

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I dreamt of painting this mural in Chinatown way back in Sept 2015, as a gift to my beloved Chinatown. See my blog Inspiration from Cantonese Opera. As a little boy, I followed my aunt to watch Cantonese Operas all around Chinatown.

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Stay on Task

Respect the School device and your classmates

Surf Safely

Take turns using the iPads

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D2: Chinese instruments commonly played in Chinese opera

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D2: Chinese instruments commonly played in Chinese opera

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Guiding questions for research:

Which are percussion instruments, wind instruments and string instruments?

How are each of them played?

What are their sizes as compared to the musician?

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B1: Introduction to the Cultural Performance

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B1: Introduction to the Cultural Performance

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Guiding questions for research:

What are some character masks used in Chinese Opera?

What does each mask represent?

What does the stage look like?

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Chinese Street Opera | Explained in 3 Minutes #02

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Introduction to the Cultural Performance

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Introduction to the Cultural Performance

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Guiding questions for research :

Who makes up a Dikir Barat performance?

What are the songs usually about?

What do the performers do?

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Guiding questions for research:

How many people are there in a Dikir Barat group?

What are the different roles they play?

Is Dikir Barat only for male performers?

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Dikir Barat

Dikir barat is a popular source of entertainment for the Malay community in Singapore. Traditionally a choral ensemble, a dikir barat group typically comprises a tok juara (lead vocalist), a tukang karut (jester), an awok-awok (chorus) of 12-16 persons, and a percussion ensemble of musicians playing the drums, gong, gong-chime, maracas, and sometimes a bamboo flute. The leader of the group is usually the tukang karut.
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During performances, a group's repertoire opens with tepuk sepuluh (introductory clapping), which sets the tone of the performance, then the lagu juara (opening song), which showcases the tok juara's vocal talents. This is followed by the karut kelantan (segue) into the karut pattani (call and response). Next, the tok juara picks up with the karut yankee (upbeat, catchy song), which has a faster tempo, making it the most upbeat part of the performance. Finally, variations of the wau bulan (song of the moon kite) mark the end of the performance. Song lyrics are usually composed by the tukang karut, who uses an allegorical and allusive style for the lagu juara, and a more direct and incisive style for the tukang karut 's parts.

Geographic Location

This secular art form originates from Kelantan, Malaysia, and is derived from Muslim sufi dhikr practices from Pattani, Thailand, in the early 20th century. Today in Singapore, dikir barat is performed during Malay weddings and festivals, and competitions are frequently held.

Communities Involved

Dikir barat has a large following in Singapore, in terms of practitioners and audiences. There is a thriving dikir barat competitive scene, with about 70-90 active troupes.

Many dikir barat groups start out from, or are funded by, educational institutions and community centres. As performances are segregated by gender, there are usually separate male and female groups. Members of dikir barat groups are largely youths and working adults. Despite holding full-time jobs, many members report feeling connected to and invested in dikir barat. Hence, they make time for the long hours of practice needed. Dikir barat is also enjoyed by multi-ethnic audiences from various walks of life, especially when it is performed at outreach events.

Associated Social and Cultural Practices

Dikir barat in Singapore has evolved from the original form practised in Kelantan, and developed into its own style of performance. Traditionally, performances in Kelantan were held during rural harvest festivals and explored domestic issues like courtship and folk wisdom. As populations became urbanised, topics such as work, urban alienation, and politics emerged. However, performance themes in Singapore mainly revolve around cultural issues and civic virtues such as racial harmony. Furthermore, the performance form in Kelantan is primarily focused on the tukang karut. In Singapore, however, the awok- awok's "moves", percussion ensemble's synchronicity, and overall factors like a group's visual presentation, are just as important. Finally, while "freestyle" or impromptu dikir barat was part of the original art form in Kelantan, it is uncommon in Singapore, where performers usually memorise the lyrics.

Performances are typically carried out in the Malay language, and include Malay poetic forms, such as the syair and the pantun. Performances for the general public are occasionally done in English to allow non-Malay speakers to appreciate this art form.

Experience of a Practitioner

The Singapore Dikir Barat Federation, known as GABUNGAN, plays an important role in nurturing the art form. It organises Mega Perdana, widely seen as the most prestigious dikir barat competition here, once every two years. GABUNGAN also organises seminars and workshops to train dikir barat instructors, and promotes the art form in schools and institutions, says Ms Juwita Samat. Competitions organised by community centres and tertiary institutions contribute to vibrancy of dikir barat.
Watch: Dikir Barat
In addition, the popularity and reach of dikir barat within the Malay-speaking media and community is strong. Studio recordings of dikir barat songs and corresponding CD anthologies have been successfully produced and are played by the local radio station Ria 89.7. The finale of Mega Perdana has been regularly broadcasted on the TV channel Suria since 2000.

With such copious amounts of reference materials available, new practitioners can easily be introduced to dikir barat. There are no specific skill sets required to pick up the art, other than a desire to learn, says Ms Juwita. However, it may take some time to cultivate the skills for the informal leadership roles like the tukang karut.

Present Status

Dikir barat is likely to continue thriving in Singapore, says Ms Juwita. However, she hopes that dikir barat will be appreciated not just as a cultural artefact, but also for its artistic merits. Ms Juwita feels strongly that dikir barat has developed its own distinctive Singaporean flair, and possesses great cultural value. The Singaporean dikir barat is, to her, worth safeguarding for the future. Ms Juwita takes pride in her role in passing on the baton.

References

Reference No.: ICH-004

Date of Inclusion: April 2018; Updated March 2019
References
Brennan, Carolyn. "Religion, cultural identity, and Kelantan's Dikir Barat." The Australian Journal of Anthropology, 12 (3): 302-311, 2001.

Chong, Sylvia. "Music links A music ensemble outreach programme for schools." International Journal of Community Music, 4 (1): 39-46, 2011.

Osman, Sharifah Masturah Bte Syed. "Dikir Barat in Kelantan and Singapore: Looking beyond its superficiality." National University of Singapore, Department of Malay Studies. Unpublished Honours Thesis, 1998.

Rashid, Yaakub. "Songs for the common folk." The Straits Times, 15 May 1991.

Singapore Dikir Barat Federation. www.dikirbarat.com. Accessed 28 July 2017.

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Dikir barat is a popular source of entertainment for the Malay community in Singapore.

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Guiding questions for research:

Where are the performers standing/ seated around the stage?

What are the performers wearing?

What is the size of the performers as compared to the stage?

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Di Pinggiran Aidilfitri & Dikir Raya Dah Tiba - Performance 1 | Sinar Lebaran 2022

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Guiding questions for research :

What are some facial expressions / hand gestures of the performers?

What other things were used in the performance?

How big or small are these things?

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Wira (Republic Polytechnic) - B10 Boys' Category | Piala Suara Serumpun 2023

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Guiding questions for research :

How are the musicians seated?

How are the musicians dressed?

What instruments do they use?

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dQ: Temalang - Rhythms of Dikir Barat in Singapore

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Guiding questions for research:

How big are the instruments as compared to the musician?

What does each instrument sound like?

How are the instruments played?

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Introduction to the cultural performance

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Introduction to the cultural performance

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Guiding questions for research:

What are some instruments used in Indian Traditional Drums?

How did the musicians play the instruments?

Are the musicians standing or seated?

How did the musicians play the instruments?

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I Kid You Not #7 | The art of Indian percussion [Trailer]

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Guiding questions:

What are the 2 instruments used in Indian Traditional Drums?

How are the musicians seated?

How are the musicians dressed?

What instruments do they use?

Play the video from 9:49min.

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I Kid You Not: The art of Indian percussion | Offstage

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Guiding questions:

What are the instruments used in the cultural performance?

How big or small are the instruments?

What are the performers wearing?

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We are Singapore - Tabla, Violin and Flute

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Tabla, Mridangam and the Western Orchestra

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Tabla, Mridangam and the Western Orchestra

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Guiding questions:

What is the size of the stage as compared to the performers?

What are the other instruments played together with the Indian drums in this performance?

How are the Indian musicians playing the Tabla and Mridangam seated differently from the rest of the performers?

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Jewel of Srivijaya (for Mridangam, Tabla and Orchestra) by Tony Makarome