The Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino (Kontra-GaPi), a Filipino performing arts ensemble from the University of the Philippines, in their visit to Morocco organized by the Philippine Embassy in Rabat, conducted a series of interactive workshops for Moroccan students to promote Philippine music and dance. Professor Pedro Abraham, Jr., founder of Kontra-GaPi, expressed elation at the opportunity to promote Philippine culture as their visit coincided with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Philippine-Moroccan relations.
At the workshop held on 20 June 2025 at Ecole Internationale de Musique et Danse (EIMD), young Moroccan musicians aged 8 to 13 tried their hands at playing various indigenous instruments such as kulintang, gangsa, tongatong, angklung, kubing, eliciting smiles in their faces. Parents in attendance expressed gratitude to the Embassy for giving their children a rare and unforgettable experience and even shared their intention to visit the Philippines afterwards.
On 21 June 2025, another workshop was held at the Dati Drouk dance studio where Professor Abraham said “I admire Morocco’s rich history, which spans more than 5,000 years—about the same length as the Philippines’ pre-colonial history. I believe that music and dance transcend national boundaries, and I hope to share with you the rich traditions of Filipino gamelan music and indigenous dance.”
Energized by the brief performance of Kontra-GaPi and the workshop that followed, the members of Dati Drouk performed a full dance sequence composed of movements from various Filipino ethno-linguistic groups. The workshop culminated in a spontaneous cultural exchange, as Dati Drouk members responded with an extemporaneous dance performance to the hypnotic rhythms of gnaoua music.
EIMD is a premier institution in Rabat offering comprehensive music, dance, and theater training for over 1,500 students annually and supporting both aspiring professionals and amateurs. On the other hand, Dati Drouk is the first institution in Morocco offering structured professional training in contemporary dance.
The two workshops were conducted on top of the performances of Kontra-GaPi before the Diplomatic Corps on 17 June 2025 and the Filipino community on 22 June 2025. Philippine Ambassador to Morocco Leslie Baja expressed great satisfaction at the opportunity to showcase Philippine culture, saying that “culture is a bridge linking the Philippines and Morocco”.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines.
