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Morocco World
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Morocco World
Philippines, Morocco Deepen 50 Years Ties Through Music and Memory
Rabat – The Philippines and Morocco marked 50 years of diplomatic ties this week with a celebration that went beyond protocol. This morning, the Embassy of the Philippines in Rabat invited Moroccans to witness a performance that embodied both of tradition and connection. Kontra-GaPi, an ensemble from the University of the Philippines, stood at the center of the gathering. For the first time in its history, the group traveled to Africa, not only as tourists, but as cultural ambassadors. Their instruments, some carved from bamboo, others stretched with skin, offered rhythms shaped by centuries. The dances they brought reflected the lives of communities who have held onto their ways through waves of colonization, war, and migration. Philippine Ambassador to Morocco Leslie Baja opened the event with calm conviction. 'We hope through the performances of Kontra-GaPi, we will be able to create a cultural bridge between our two countries,' he told Morocco World News (MWN) at the sidelines of the event. 'And of course, create greater awareness and understanding between the peoples of the Philippines and Morocco.' 'This is a special moment for us,' the group's founder and artistic director, Pedro Abraham Jr told MWN . 'We are here not just to perform, but to share something ancient and alive from our country.' Abraham explained that the ensemble drew on traditions from nearly 100 ethno-linguistic groups in the Philippines. 'Many of these communities were barely touched by colonization. Their music holds memory, and we carry it with care,' he said. For Abraham, the performance in Morocco felt personal. 'We don't often get to stand in places so far from home and be received with this much kindness,' he said. 'And yet here we are, in North Africa, sharing something that began thousands of years ago in the Austronesian world. For a few moments, our histories sit side by side.' The performance brought warmth, silence between notes, and the slow recognition that people across continents often carry similar longings, for dignity, continuity, and friendship. The visit also marked the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence. But, the night did not revolve around dates or official speeches. It belonged to the musicians, the dancers, and the guests who leaned in to listen. The Embassy's choice to bring Kontra-GaPi to Morocco served as more than symbolic outreach. It stood as an invitation, to look beyond geography, and to find familiarity in difference. Tags: Kontra GapiMoroccoMorocco Philippines tiesmorocco ties
Morocco World
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Morocco World
Philippines, Morocco Mark 50 Years with Cultural Tribute
Rabat – For the first time in its decades-long journey, the Filipino performing arts ensemble Kontra-GaPi is heading to Africa. The group, known formally as Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino, will spend ten days in Morocco as part of a landmark celebration marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine Independence and five decades of diplomatic ties between the Philippines and Morocco. The visit, announced by Philippine Ambassador to Morocco Leslie Baja, carries a sense of pride and anticipation. For Baja, this is more than a cultural tour, and more of a personal chapter in a long story of representing his country through art. He recalled Kontra-GaPi's performance in Switzerland in 2013, during his previous diplomatic post. The memory, he noted, never quite left those who witnessed it. 'He has this knack of bringing out the artistic side of his audiences', Baja said in a press statement. 'I am sure, this time, he will rock Morocco!' Baja is speaking of Professor Pedro 'Edru' Abraham Jr., the ensemble's founder and guiding spirit for over thirty years. A fixture at the University of the Philippines, Abraham has spent most of his life tracing, preserving, and reshaping the country's indigenous traditions. Unlike typical musical acts, Kontra-GaPi does not aim for spectacle. Their strength lies in the quiet force of bamboo instruments, the haunting power of chants, and the rhythm of ritual. It is a performance that feels less like a show and more like an invitation to listen, to history, to ancestry, to what remains unsaid. The ensemble's visit to Morocco includes more than concerts. The group will also meet with students, artists, and scholars to share what they know through workshops and conversations. In this way, their presence becomes an exchange, not just a presentation. Moroccan audiences will encounter something rare, Filipino culture as lived and remembered, not packaged or simplified. For a group that has spent years carrying memory across continents, Morocco now becomes part of the journey. 'One really feels welcomed here in Morocco,' said Baja recently in an exclusive interview with Morocco World News (MWN). The ambassador also expressed confidence that the next 50 years will build on the achievements of the past half-century. 'We hope to further strengthen economic ties and deepen both bilateral and multilateral cooperation,' he concluded on a high note. Tags: CultureMoroccoMorocco Philippines tiesPhilippines
