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Heritage
The uniqueness of

Rebana Ubi Kelantan

By: Akhi Sahrul
The Malay archipelago is well known for its tradition,
from clothes and rich culture to musical instruments.
We must strive to continuously pursue this unique trait
that was inherited over many generations to ensure
the preservation of Malay culture.

An example of this unique characteristic is the Rebana
Ubi, a type of percussion musical instrument highly fa-
voured by the Malay community in Kelantan, especial-
ly amongst the older generations.

Rebana Ubi is highly popular in Kelantan during the
olden days as it was the state’s identity. Practically,
Rebana Ubi is classified as a drum-like instrument,
played by beating it with a stick. Rebana Ubi has its
own appeal over an average rebana because of its
larger size (70cm diameter and 1 metre in height).
Rebana Ubi can be hung horizontally or placed on the
floor depending on the size.

The front part of the Rebana Ubi is round and made of
bull leather. The leather is stretched to a piece of
timber. The timber is then cut to the desired size and
a hole which will create a sound when it is beaten.

In yesteryears, Rebana Ubi was not just a musical ins-
trument but also used as a communication tool. The
Rebana Ubi is placed on a hill and played with different
beats according to the message. Messages conveyed
through this medium were mostly community-based
such as an invitation to a wedding celebration or
danger warning.
As with other traditional musical instruments, the
Rebana Ubi is played with various, soothing and en-
gaging rhythms by the beater.

Usually, the Rebana Ubi festival is held after the har-
vesting season from afternoon until late at night and
sometimes even until dawn.
During the festival, ‘ttewas bano’ competition is held
to find the best sound of Rebana Ubi as well as those
with rich decoration. Each Rebana Ubi is played by two
people while standing on the left and right side. The
player standing on the right will play the Rebana Ubi
using his left hand while the player standing on the left
side will hit the Rebana Ubi using his right hand.

Each team consists of 6 Rebana Ubi with 12 players.
However, nowadays the sound of the Rebana Ubi has
become more scarce and is being replaced with va-
rious technically advanced and modern communica-
tion methods and musical instruments. Rebana Ubi mostly performed at the Gelanggang Seni, Kota Bharu.
Rebana Ubi mostly performed at the Gelanggang Seni, Kota Bharu.
58 MAJALAH KORPORAT PMBK | QIADAH