Kicking off a long weekend with the Ipoh Cultural Night 2024
by KT Leong
In celebration of Malaysia Day 2024, the Ipoh Cultural Night 2024 was held last night at The Octagon Ipoh. The aim of the event was to showcase the cultural attractions of Malaysia, while enhancing harmony and interactions among the various ethnic groups in Ipoh, in this celebration of Malaysia Day by the local community.
Providence favoured the event as strong winds and a light spray earlier in the evening, rather than putting a damper on the festivities, made it a pleasantly cool affair instead.
As the crowd gathered for the upcoming show, having already claimed the goodies given out by the organisers and having perused the delicacies available at the Paloh Street Food Paradise set up over on the next street, the guests of honour also began to arrive.
The opening performance of the 24 Festive Drums “Kopitiam”, followed by the national and state anthem, settled everyone down for the entertainment of the evening.
Tan Sri Dato’ Chang Ko Youn expressed his appreciation for the unity and harmony among the races. Assistant Director for the Perak State Education Department, Mr. Wan Muhamad Huzairi bin Shukri, also expressed his appreciation for the organisers who were able to make this meaningful event happen. Finally, Ipoh Drum Academy’s Mr. Cayson Chong, who was behind last year’s “Let’s Drum Palo” event, expressed his thanks to all the people who supported and helped run this event, including the media, such as Ipoh Echo.
With thanks and acknowledgements done, the show began in earnest. A cornucopia of cultural performances were displayed that night, as the distinctiveness of the races were integrated to create a show that paid homage to all. From the soothing music of SMJK Sam Tet’s Chinese Orchestra, SK Seberang Perak’s Malay Dance that integrated Indian and Chinese elements, such as the Chinese lantern, and SMJK Ave Maria Convents’s Chinese Dance to Maahad Tahfiz’s Silat exhibition and SMK Simpang Pulai’s Contemporary Malay Dance, and finally with SMJK Yuk Choy’s own 24 Festive Drums performance; it hummed throughout the night, not just from the performances on display, but also the various stalls and games that were available in The Octagon itself, as well as the aforementioned Paloh Street Food Paradise, where guests could enjoy their meals on the myriad of seating set up for the event.
It was a night not to be soon forgotten.
