In honour of the 36th anniversary of the 24 Festive Drums, a drumming concert titled “Three Are Endless, Six Are Infinite” was held at the Permaisuri Zarith Sofiah Opera House, hosted by the JB Drums and co-organised with the Malaysian 24 Festive Drums Association.
In 2023, JB Drums and Orang Orang Drum Theatre from Kuala Lumpur set a record with 18 consecutive performances of “Drum Up JB” at the same theatre.
This year, the celebration’s concert had invited three drum troupes, Shicheng Theatre from Batu Pahat, Johor, Hands Percussion from Kuala Lumpur, and Louds Percussion from Penang, making it the first ever concert to have professional drum troupes from the northern, central, and southern regions of Malaysia perform together in Johor Bahru.
The theme “Three Are Endless, Six Are Infinite” spells out the number of anniversaries for the troupe, signifying its vitality and endless potential for growth and development.
The evening’s programme opened with the JB Drums performance of “Threes Are Endless, Sixes Are Infinite.”
This piece narrated the cycle of life and the endless continuity of nature. The JB Drums used a rotating frame to present this piece, starting with a circular drum formation that changed multiple times throughout the performance, leading the audience through the intended atmosphere. In the end, the drum formation returned to its original state, symbolising the endless cycles of nature.
The second piece, “Symphony of Drums and Fans,” was performed by Louds Percussion, featuring the most number of female drummers for the evening and combining drum artistry with Chinese “kung fu hand-fans.”
The powerful drum beats, combined with the clasping sounds of opening and closing the hand-fan, created a layered and delightful rhythm. The drummers even used the fans to hit the drums, blending the soft sounds of the fans with the strong beats of the drumsticks, creating a unique auditory experience.
The third piece, “The City,” was presented by the Shicheng Theatre, where the performance began with chanting and bodily expressions, taking the audience on a journey to their hometown, Batu Pahat. The drummers showcased powerful and vigorous drumming, vividly expressing the spirit of perseverance of Batu Pahat.
After the intermission, Hands Percussion presented “deConsTruction.” Elegantly dressed in white, the drummers demonstrated impressive use of various drumsticks throughout the piece, with the first half featuring thin drumsticks and Western percussion techniques, providing a stark contrast to traditional 24 Festive Drums performances.
The second half featured a dialogue between the lion drum and the Gong, and the addition of cymbals at the end created an unforgettable auditory and visual experience.
Following this was “Yi Shui Han,” another piece by the JB Drums, the earliest artwork, composed by two JB Drums coaches – Sim Woei Jian and Chong Hai Liang, in the year 2010.
The piece was composed in conjunction with the epic stage play “Yi Ge Da Ma, Wan Zhong Feng Hua”. It was performed to commemorate the late Tan Hooi Song, co-founder of 24 Festive Drums.
The title was based on the poem “Shrill Wind Rises, Water Cools” – where the hero leaves and never returns home,” in which “the hero” refers to the late Tan Hooi Song.
In 2019, JB Drums coaching team reorganised this traditional piece. The piece is mainly presented using vertical drums with drum stands, retaining the early style of 24 Festive Drums. It also focuses on the uniformity of the beating, and the variety in the formation.
The finale of the second half featured Hands Percussion’s “Where The River Duo Meets.” Starting with southern lion drums and flat drums, this piece showcased Hands Percussion’s top-notch drumming skills. It also included Indonesian gamelan, Malaysian Malay drums (Gendang), and Malay hand drums (Kompang), reflecting the group’s immersion in Southeast Asia’s diverse culture as well as the multicultural elements in their work.
In the final performance, representatives from the three drum troupes joined in with their festive drums for a grand finale.
During the curtain call, the emcee has announced that the JB Drums and Orang Orang Drum Theatre will present “Drum Up JB 2.0” from 4-6th October 2024.
There will be four performances, with 2,000 seats available for audience members. Tickets are expected to go on sale in July. Updates and information may be found through https://drumupjb.com/
