The historic Matara Town Hall and Cultural Centre resonated with the thunderous acoustic pulse of traditional cylindrical drums today, October 2, 2026, as the Ruhunu Cultural Foundation hosted a prestigious masterclass in traditional Low-Country (Pahatha Rata) drumming and ritual percussion.

Southern Sri Lanka is celebrated as the birthplace of the Ruhunu Yak Bera (or Devol Bera)—a long, cylindrical drum crafted from seasoned kohomba or kithul timber and bound with tightly stretched cowhide. The residential workshop brought together 90 young music students, school aesthetic teachers, and university fine arts undergraduates from across Matara, Kamburupitiya, and Hakmana, training under the guidance of venerated generational master drummers from historic southern artistic lineages.

Participants spent the day mastering intricate hand-striking nuances, studying complex rhythmic cycles known as 'Vandana Mathra', and executing the dynamic percussive syncopations that accompany traditional southern mask dances such as Kolam and Sanni Yakuma. Instructors also provided hands-on demonstrations of traditional drum maintenance, demonstrating how natural resin pastes are applied to the drumhead centers to produce deep, resonant bass tones that carry across long distances.

Cultural Foundation Director Gamini Wickramasinghe stated that safeguarding indigenous rhythmic traditions ensures that Sri Lanka's intangible musical heritage remains vibrant and proudly passed to the younger generation. The workshop concluded with a mass ensemble percussive recital by all 90 trainees, earning thunderous applause from community elders, school educators, and local traditional performing arts enthusiasts.