KUCHING: The Sarawak National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN) and the Sarawak government are jointly organising the annual Sarawak Malay Drums Festival from Nov 1 to 3 at the Sarawak Regatta Main Stage, Kuching Waterfront.
State JKKN assistant director Johan Wahyuddin Taib said among others, the festival was to instil interest in the younger generation in Malay drums and to preserve them.
The festival also aimed to strengthen racial harmony between the various communities through arts and culture as well as to promote tourism.
Thirteen groups, mainly from outside Kuching, are competing for top honours, some coming from as far as Indonesia and Brunei.
The preliminary rounds are on Nov 1, starting at 10am. The semi-finals will be held in the evening, while the four best teams will compete for the championship title in the evening of Nov 2, at a dinner, starting at 8pm.
Besides artistic performances, visitors can look forward to activities such as a workshop on Sarawak Malay drums (on Oct 31), a puppet theatre, Kek Lapis-making competition and sale of arts and crafts.
A demonstration of traditional games and a quiz on arts and culture will be held in the morning of Nov 3.
