Dikir Barat has always been one of the popular performing arts from Kelantan and it is

one of the most enduring legacies in the country until today. It is undeniable that through the
development of the media has indirectly raised the name of Dikir Barat until it can become a
competition by the government of Malaysia. Besides being art performance, Dikir Barat
recording also popular, it has been reported in 2006 that there are about five major production
houses in Kelantan releasing about 20 Dikir Barat albums a year.

Dikir Barat is a unique musical art form which involves the combination of singing,
caroling, poetry reciting, synchronized dancing and of course the music. Besides that, Dikir
Barat is a musical form, native to the Malay Peninsula that involves singing in groups, which is
often in a competitive setting. Dikir Barat may be performed either with a percussion
instrumental accompaniment or with no instruments at all. The dance is partially similar in
movement to Endang except that actions of hand clapping are further incorporated to produce
rhythm.

Furthermore, Dikir Barat is a traditional theatrical art of the most preferred by the Malays
in Kelantan and Patani in southern Thailand. In general, this art is said to be more popular as folk
music.