Drum Story

All the participants of Drum Story

“Drum Story” was held at the Sungai Long Campus Multi-purpose Hall on 12 November 2016 by the UTAR Sungai Long 24 Festive Drum Club. Present at the event was UTAR President Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik, UTAR Council Chairman Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, his spouse Toh Puan Ena Ling, Founder of 24 Festive Drums Tan Chai Puan, and Department of Student Affairs Head Loh Nyuk Leung.

The 24 Festive Drums troupe of UTAR Sungai Long Campus was first formed under the Chinese Language Society in December 2014, and established as a formal club under the Wushu Club as the 24 Festive Drum Unit on June 2015. It was formed by a group of passionate students who love to play drums and wish to transmit the spirit of 24 Festive Drums to UTAR students.

The opening ceremony by the 24 Festive Drum Unit

The aim of the event was to promote and further the understanding of Chinese culture and the 24 Festive Drums. It also provided a platform for the members of the drumming troupes to share their experiences, showcase performances and have an interaction session to learn drumming techniques from other teams.

Tan,  the founder of the 24 Festive Drums tradition, spoke about the cultural concept of 24 Festive Drums, the true meaning behind the 24 solar terms, and the development and spread of the practice to Singapore, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. “I recommend that UTAR’s 24 Festive Drums to be a leading contender to host the ‘Malaysia Universities 24 Festive Drums Biennale’ in the year of 2017,” remarked Tan.

“The Chinese population in Malaysia has preserved its unique cultural identity by continuously practising our customs and traditions. Organising such events is a great way to teach younger generations about Chinese culture and a great way to impart traditional values to them. Such events enable us to strengthen our community relationships as well as to understand the history of our culture,” said Tun Ling during his speech.

Prof Chuah said, “Malaysian Chinese festivals and cultures have been passed down through the generations but localised elements have been incorporated into the original, and I am proud to highlight that the 24 Festive Drums is an original innovation founded in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. By establishing ready access to arts and culture in the curriculum, we secure a brighter future for all our children to connect with their cultural inheritance for a better understanding of previous generations and to foster a sense of unity among all.”

Broadcasting students Luke Lau and Phoebe Goh expressed, “We were glad to witness this event and we hope that traditions from our culture will continue to be showcased in order for the public to learn about our heritage.”

Eight 24 Festive Drums troupes from different secondary schools and universities participated in this event. They came from SMJK Yu Hua, Hin Hua High School, SMJK Chan Wa, i-Cool New Era College, Taylor’s University, Sunway University, UTAR Sungai Long Campus and UTAR Kampar Campus.

Tun Ling presenting a souvenir to Tan as Organising Chairperson Hong Ye Yi and Prof Chuah look on

Performers from SMJK Yu Hua, Kajang