Originating from the northeastern Malay Peninsula, specifically the Patani region and Kelantan state, Dikir Barat in Singapore has evolved into a distinctive style that blends traditional elements with local cultural influences.

Introduced to Singapore by the Malay community, Dikir Barat has developed a unique Singaporean flavor over the decades, incorporating contemporary themes while maintaining its traditional musical structure.

In Singapore, Dikir Barat has transcended its role as a traditional art form, becoming an important means of fostering community spirit and cultural identity among the Malay population.

Dikir Barat groups are commonly found in schools, where students engage in this art as part of their co-curricular activities, learning values such as teamwork, creativity and cultural heritage.

Today, dikir barat is a celebrated art form in Singapore, featuring in schools, community events and major cultural performances.

This event was a pivotal moment, generating significant interest among secondary schools and junior colleges, which led them to establish their own dikir barat groups.

As a result, many schools began offering dikir barat as an extracurricular activity, allowing students to not only learn this traditional art form but also cultivate essential values such as discipline, teamwork and tolerance.

Youthful performers modernized the genre by incorporating new movements and blending elements from English, Malay and Hindi pop songs into their compositions.

In 2009, a dikir barat performance was part of the cultural showcase for world leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Singapore.

With strong support from educational institutions, community centers and organizations like the Singapore Dikir Barat Federation, it continues to play an important role in promoting Malay culture while appealing to a broad and diverse audience.

Additionally, whereas the Kelantanese tukang karut is the central figure in performances, Singaporean dikir barat emphasizes other aspects, such as the synchrony of the awok-awok's movements, the percussion ensemble and the visual presentation of the group.

One of the primary goals of the Singapore Dikir Barat Federation is to actively promote the art form through various community events, performances and competitions.

This biennial event showcases the talents of various dikir barat troupes and serves as a platform for promoting the art form to a wider audience.