Dikir barat has many singers, but who will master the art of ‘tukang karut’?

Dikir barat, a traditional Kelantanese performance art, remains popular, but there are growing concerns about the dwindling number of skilled performers capable of the demanding task of creating rhymes and verses spontaneously during a show. Sabri Yunus, an actor, director, and researcher, points out that there are only six or seven highly accomplished tukang karut, or lead improvisers, left.

This comes as no surprise as younger performers tend to favor singing, which may offer a more straightforward path to the broader entertainment industry. Sabri believes that a better understanding of the tukang karut role could help younger performers develop a more comprehensive skill set, keeping the art form alive. Recently, the death of veteran performer Jen Endoro, who was equally skilled as a singer and tukang karut, further highlights the urgency of the situation.

The challenges go beyond just finding performers, as writing for dikir barat requires mastery of storytelling, poetry, melody, and - most crucially - the ability to weave in rhymes and rhythms seamlessly. Panellists at a recent cultural forum discussed the need to keep dikir barat relevant for a new generation. They noted that some songwriters lack the experience to handle complex rhyme arrangements and even resort to altering standard Malay words to fit a rhyme, risking the authenticity of the lyrics.