Efforts being made to have 24 Festive Drums recognised as intangible cultural heritage
WHAT started as a single 24 Festive Drums team in Johor Baru 38 years ago has grown into a global cultural movement.
The milestone was marked with a special gathering at Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Street, Johor Baru to celebrate the art form’s 38th anniversary.
More than 100 drummers from over 50 teams across Johor came together in a rare large-scale performance
Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Street chairman Lee Gek Peng said while cultural activities were regularly held at that street, the anniversary celebration was a special arrangement, and the first of its kind to be held there in a decade.
“We do not organise this every year.
“This year is special as we are celebrating the 38th anniversary.
“We are also supporting efforts to have the 24 Festive Drums recognised by Unesco as an intangible cultural heritage,” he said during the celebration.
Gek Peng said the art movement has expanded significantly since its establishment in Johor Baru, growing from a single team to more than 10,000 teams worldwide.
Gek Peng said preserving the tradition was important to ensure it would not be forgotten by younger generations.
“This is a traditional Chinese cultural event and we want the younger generation to continue appreciating and preserving it.”
He said the weather remained one of the biggest challenges for outdoor performances, while coordinating participants from different teams required strong teamwork.
“Performers come from different places and do not train together beforehand, so teamwork is very important.
“Even though each team normally performs with 24 drums, we can combine many teams together and perform as one large group,” he said, adding that a previous performance involving 360 drums had been held at a mall in Johor Baru.
Caretaker Johor investment, trade, consumer affairs and human resources committee chairman Lee Ting Han said the 24 Festive Drums had become one of Johor’s most recognisable cultural exports.
He said the art form, which originated in Johor Baru in 1988, had spread across the globe and was now performed on almost every continent.
“We are proud that something which started here has gained international recognition and continues to grow around the world,” he said.
Ting Han said the 24 Festive Drums combined Chinese culture, calligraphy, drumming and elements of Malaysian identity, making it unique among cultural performances.
He added that the art form has already been recognised as a Malaysian national heritage and was currently being considered for inclusion on Unesco’s intangible cultural heritage list.
To further promote the tradition, Ting Han said the Johor government incorporated the 24 Festive Drums performances into programmes organised by Yayasan Warisan Johor, allowing visitors to experience the art form with other cultural showcases at Sultan Abu Bakar Heritage Complex.
He added that the celebration reflected the Bangsa Johor spirit, noting that performers from different ethnic backgrounds had embraced the art form over the years.
“This shows that the 24 Festive Drums has gone beyond being purely a Chinese cultural performance and is appreciated by people from different races and backgrounds.”
