KOTA BHARU: The International Drum Festival 2024, featuring over 250 participants including those from Indonesia and Thailand, will be made an annual event in Kelantan in an effort to attract tourists to the state.
Kelantan Tourism Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Kamarudin Md Nor said the inaugural programme serves as a platform for musical activities from various traditional percussion instruments of different ethnicities throughout Kelantan.
He said the drum symphony performance involves about 12 types of drums, highlighting their mesmerising elements and own unique appeal.
“With the various drum presentations from all ethnicities including Malay, Chinese, Indian as well as Thai, this festival will create a cultural tapestry that can foster a spirit of unity among the multi-ethnic community while also attracting visitors to the state,“ he told Bernama at the festival’s opening ceremony here.
Kamarudin also said that the drum festival, also known as the Palu Fest, coincides with the promotion of Visit Kelantan Year this year.
According to him, Kelantan is rich in unique arts and culture, and famous for gendang (drum) silat, dikir barat, rebana ubi, kertok, wayang kulit and various other traditional games still seen today.
“We are fully confident that through the organisation of this drum festival, we will be able to continue the agenda of empowering cultural arts so that they can be enjoyed by the next generation,“ he added.
