The drum’s origins can be traced back thousands of years to ancient civilizations across the globe, in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Drums were used in military communications and warfare, religious rituals, as well as dance and music performances. A drum produces simple sounds: “dum dum” by hitting the drumhead and “da da” by hitting the rim. Even with varying tempos, rhythms, and force, it does not suffice to express emotional changes. Orang Orang Drum Theatre takes drumming to another level by combining drums with vocals, movement, theatrical aspects and ethnic musical instruments, as well as traditional folk songs, into their works. The integration of theatrical expression and music’s ability to convey emotions nonverbally turns drummers from percussion accompaniment into performers enacting stories onstage.
Splitting the Chinese character “众” (crowd) into three “人” (people) side by side symbolizes everyone is equal, and it can also be interpreted as “There is always someone that one can learn from among a trio”. Orang Orang Drum Theatre was founded in 2013 by Boyz Chew and Zyee Liew, with the core belief that performing arts is people-oriented, thus striving to break down barriers between performing arts and the audience. The essence of performing arts lies in fostering connections, expressing and eliciting thoughts and feelings at the same time, and cannot exist without involving people. Their ultimate goal is to make performing arts accessible to all, to create resonance between people, and to create shared memories.
Boyz and Zyee realised that performing arts encompass a wide range of forms and styles, despite their started out from 24 Festive Drums instead of receiving formal performing arts education. By keeping their minds open, apart from being proficient in drumming, they explore different possibilities of narratives and expression methods, and collaborate with artists from various fields. Whenever they perform abroad, they sought out local folklores, musical instruments, and folk songs, collecting inspiration to fuel creativity. They are also deeply observant, finding creative themes in the mundane everyday life, then they tell stories, portray characters, and convey ideas by the symbolic use of props, costumes, and gestures.
The productions of Orang Orang Drum Theatre appeal to a broad audience, be it an international stage performance or casually engage with residents of rural villages. The major difference between the two is that in a relatively enclosed space, one can be distraction-free and focus on the performance; on the streets, one needs to cope with all sorts of situations in order to perform. They also organise community percussion workshops using plastic buckets and sticks, leading everyone into a world of non-verbal communication with only beats and rhythms, where they can sway instinctively and relax their bodies and minds.
24 Festive Drums, which is derived from traditional drums, combined with various theatrical elements, led to the creation of “Drum Theatre”, where multiple dimensions of creativity come together with an overarching theme and multi-sensory expression. Performing arts and culture are vital sources of nourishment for our souls, enriching the quality of our lives. Orang Orang Drum Theatre dedicate their hard work to pass on the multi-cultural performing arts of Malaysia.
有你 UNI Production
Producer : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Michael Lerk
Drone : Daniel Lim
Video Editor : Amelia Lim
文案 Copywriter : Pua Hui Wen
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