Bongai is not an unfamiliar music in Negeri Sembilan; can be categorised as a traditional song especially for the state’s community. This music is very popular in merriment events that involve weddings. The word Bongai was created from two words that are “Bong” means “a respected person”, and the word “Aye” means “me”. Bongai songs are always performed in exchange of quatrains form by individuals or duet, or in groups. Among the popular songs are Cantik Manis, Kapeh, Irama Budu Landai, Donak Donai and Anak Bocek. The musical instruments that always accompany this music performance are the caklempong, accordion, gong, hand-held drummette, and clarinet.

Rodat is very popular among the communities in the state of Terengganu with its peak around the 1950s to the early 1970s. “Rodat” means Arabic arts of singing accompanied by the “tar” rebana or hand-held small drum. There are opinions that this arts form was brought to this area from the Middle East through business and trading activities about a century ago. Upon reaching Terengganu Bay, in the evenings sailors congregate while singing accompanied by a musical instrument called ‘tar’. The melodious song, sweet voices as well as the sound of the musical instrument attracted the interest of the local residents. The size of tar is smaller than the rebana for hadrah music, made from leban wood (a hardwood), while the beaten part is from buffalo hide. Around the frame there are three copper sheets called kerincing that produce sound too. Rodat is usually performed at merriment events, among them weddings, receiving the son or daughter-in-law, circumcisions, ear piercing, and celebrating the new year.Yesteryears, Rodat was played on mattress inside the house only. The singers were only men, usually 12 people that sat or stood up in one line without musical instruments, in front of the tar players. In the era of the 1950s Rodat was popularised with the appearance of women singers and dancers, altogether five people called Mak Inang. The uniqueness of Rodat lies on its performance and message, strengthened by elements of Islam that record praises to Allah and the history of the apostles. It is said that there are between 50 t0 60 songs, but the ones still popular are as below: Ya Hayyum Ya Qayyum (Names of God that enliven)

The farmers’ community assumes that the festive season is the harvesting season. At this time, they are in jolly mood because they obtain revenue from their own sweat poured into their paddy fields all these while. It has been normal that when every time paddy harvesting season approaches the farmers organise a paddy flaking festivity made merrier by a game of Tumbuk Kalang. Often this game is held house to house and lasts for a number of evenings. The musical instruments for the Tumbuk Kalang performance are a set of caklempong, gong, paddy pestles and hand-held drummettes.