Dikir Barat: When Two Groups Trade Verses on Stage

Two groups sit cross-legged, facing each other on stage. There is no script. When the first group finishes a round of satirical pantun about rising prices, the second group has only a few seconds to compose a reply — and it must rhyme, must land on the beat, and ideally must be sharper than the original verse.

That is the moment everyone waits for in Dikir Barat: the spontaneous clash between two Tukang Karut.

Two names, two roles

A Dikir Barat troupe is driven by two figures that outsiders often confuse with each other.

Tok Juara leads the opening section. He heads the rhythmic group singing together with the awok-awok, in a more structured musical arrangement. Some historical sources refer to him as “Tok Jogho” — the leader who lays down the rhythmic foundation before the most-anticipated part begins.

Tukang Karut, on the other hand, is the pantun composer. His role begins after Tok Juara’s section, when he takes over to compose pantun spontaneously — not memorised verses, but fresh lines created on the spot, on themes ranging from social issues and light-hearted teasing to current jokes. According to local historical records, many Tukang Karut are in fact former Tok Juara who were promoted because of their talent for composing pantun quickly.

Behind these two leaders sit the awok-awok — a chorus group of roughly 15 to 30 people, mostly young. They are not merely a vocal backdrop. The awok-awok repeat or respond to the lines sung by Tukang Karut and Tok Juara, while making synchronised hand, shoulder and body movements — all while staying seated cross-legged on stage. The name “awok-awok” itself is linked to the term for crew members under the direction of a ship’s captain (nakhoda), a metaphor for how they follow the Tukang Karut’s lead.

Structure of the performance: two stages, one close

A Dikir Barat performance typically moves through the following sequence:

Stage	What happens
Opening	Bertabuh — instrumental strikes that call the audience’s attention
First section	Tok Juara leads communal singing together with the awok-awok, in a more formal song arrangement
Second section	Tukang Karut takes over, composing pantun spontaneously; the awok-awok respond to every line
Close	The group closes the performance, or — in a competition format — the turn passes to the opposing group

In an ordinary entertainment setting, only one group performs, and the audience enjoys the exchange between Tok Juara, Tukang Karut and the awok-awok. But Dikir Barat is also commonly performed as a competition, with two groups sharing the same stage, taking turns trading pantun live. This is where a Tukang Karut’s quick thinking is truly tested — not just composing a pantun that rhymes, but answering the content of the opposing group’s pantun within a short span of time, in front of an audience that judges in real time.

The instruments that accompany it

Dikir Barat’s musical accompaniment is built around drums of two sizes — the rebana ibu (the “mother” drum, carrying the main beat) and the rebana anak (a smaller drum, higher in pitch) — plus the canang (a small gong struck with a wooden mallet) and the gong (tetawak) to mark the tempo. Some groups also add simple maracas. There are no string or wind instruments in this basic arrangement; the performance’s focus stays on the voices and the rhythmic hand-clapping of the awok-awok, rather than a large orchestra.

Where it comes from

Local historical records link Dikir Barat to a dikir tradition brought from southern Thailand (the Patani region) before it took root in Kelantan. A figure frequently mentioned in local historical sources is Pak Leh Tapang (real name Mat Salleh bin Haji Ahmad) from Kampung Tapang, Kota Bharu, who is said to have developed the original form by adding elements of pantun, syair and the Kelantanese dialect — turning it into the art form recognised today. The art form was originally performed during the paddy-harvest season and at village weddings, before it expanded to formal stages, television and radio.

Heritage status

The Department of National Heritage (Jabatan Warisan Negara) gazetted Dikir Barat as National Heritage in 2009, under the category of Intangible Heritage Objects — Performing Arts (Kesenian). Registration of heritage of this kind is carried out under Akta Warisan Kebangsaan 2005 (Akta 645), which gives the department the power to recognise and register both tangible and intangible heritage in Malaysia.

Common mistakes

“Tukang Karut and Tok Juara have the same role.” No. Tok Juara leads the more structured opening section; Tukang Karut takes over for the spontaneous pantun section that is the main draw of the performance.

“Awok-awok are just audience members joining in the singing.” The awok-awok are trained group members who respond to lines deliberately, with coordinated hand and body movements — not spontaneous audience participation.

“Dikir Barat is only casual entertainment.” It is also performed as a formal competition between groups, with judging on the speed and sharpness of the Tukang Karut’s pantun.

What’s next

• Read Kelantan for background on the state where Dikir Barat took root.
• Compare with Mak Yong and wayang kulit — two other traditional theatre forms also centred in Kelantan.
• See wau for an example of Kelantanese cultural heritage in the form of a traditional game, rather than a singing performance.

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The heritage-recognition record (Department of National Heritage, 2009) was verified directly on the official website. Details of the performance structure and historical background are drawn from several mutually corroborating secondary sources; the JKKN cultural-mapping website could not be accessed while this draft was prepared and needs to be rechecked by a human reviewer before this article is confirmed.