A defender of traditional Malay culture

• • Mohamed Yaziz taught himself to make drums from the age of 13
• • He specialises in making traditional Malay drums
• • He is the co-founder of a traditional Malay music ensemble in Singapore

Mohamed Yaziz Bin Mohamed Hassan began his journey with traditional Malay drum making by fixing his own torn drum at a very young age. Since his childhood he has basked in traditional Malay music and cultural activities. Mohamed Yaziz is now famous within the Malay music scene in Singapore and has won several competitions, locally and internationally. What he loves the most in his craft is his ability to transmit his passion for Malay culture through creating instruments and music. He teaches music to students, and also teaches them how to repair their own drums. "It requires great patience," he explains. "In Singapore, there are no traditional Malay drum shops and not all traditional drummers know how to fix their instruments," which, for Mohamed Yaziz, means that teaching the young generation these skills will help prevent the weakening of this culture.