International tattoo returns

KUALA LUMPUR: Dazzling uniforms, rolling drums, smashing cymbals, piping horns and a horde of cheering spectators made it a triumphant show by military personnel at Stadium Merdeka here.

The Kuala Lumpur International Tattoo, which attracted military teams from 12 nations on Saturday night, was the first of its kind since 2007.

There were displays of precision marching, theatrical war dances and every kind of beat and rhythm that enraptured 30,000 spectators.

The show-stealers were Malaysia’s military and police bands, who gave breathtaking performances in their marches, gymnastics and motorcycle acrobatics.

After the performances by the Mal­a­y­sian bands, the tattoo kicked off with South Africa’s national ceremonial band delivering its rendition of the theme from the movie, Rocky.

This was followed by a spirited performance of Sejahtera Malaysia by the Singapore Armed Forces’ central band.

The crowd broke into thunderous applause as Indonesia’s Bhineka Eka Bhakti drum band marched in with a Cirque du Soleil-style mix of circus arts and street entertainment.

The New Zealand Air Force band wowed the crowd with its renditions of the Lord of the Rings score and ended with an electrifying Haka war cry.

Britain’s Parachute Regiment band followed with a rendition of the James Bond theme and the 007-related Diamonds Are Forever score.

Other performances included displays by military bands of the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Turkey, South Korea and Myanmar.

The KL International Tattoo is one of the major events in the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 calendar, jointly organised by the Malaysian Armed Forces and the Tourism and Culture Ministry to promote ties between Malaysia and its overseas friends.

However, portions of the stage were damaged at about 5.30pm yesterday due to a heavy thunderstorm. A ministry statement said the three-day show, which ended last night, was downsized in view of the slippery conditions of the arena.

Spectators, who were already there, were treated by the Armed Forces to a drumline show – drawing the event to a close.