Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino: Celebrating the rich Asian musical traditions of the Philippines
By John Chin
July 13, 2000

There was a sizable crowd at the Filipino-American Community of Colorado Center in Edgewater. They were there to see and hear the Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino (Kontra Gapi) music and dance ensemble. Under the direction of Pedro R. Abraham Jr., this is Kontra Gapi’s second visit to the United States and to Denver. Their first visit was in 1997 during an eight-month world tour that included Europe, Canada and the United States. Kontra Gapi is currently on a 29-week tour of the United States.

The Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino music and dance ensemble performance is a high-energy contemporary blending of percussion, wind instruments, singing, miming, and dancing. The ensemble uses a variety of instruments that are drawn from all of the peoples of the Philippines including the many minority groups like the Moslems, Manobos, Tagbanuas, Tibolis, Mangyans and others. Among the literal hundreds of instruments used during the performance were drums, gongs, flutes, gabbang (bamboo xylophone), bamboo zither, bangibang, and tongatong. A special highpoint of the concert was a solo by Becky Demitillo-Abraham, a noted singer. Throughout the concert, Abraham and the entire ensemble shared their sense of Pilipino pride, history and nationalism. The concert ended with a rendition of the national anthem of the Philippines.

Kontra Gapi had its beginnings in 1989. Abraham, a professor in the Department of Arts Studies of the College of Arts and Letters at the University of the Philippines in Dillman, was commissioned to score a play. He created a music score and formed an ensemble based on the rich diverse Asian heritage of the Philippines in the percussive Gamelan traditions. The score and the ensemble were a critical and popular success.

This led to the formation of the Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino music and dance ensemble. Abraham significantly broadened the ensemble’s performance range to include other instruments, voice and dance. Audience participation in the form of clapping, singing and chanting is also a large part of the performances. Today, the music and dance ensemble travels with 16 members in the company and uses over 300 instruments in its concerts. Ensemble members are University of the Philippines current students or recent alumni.

This current tour is partially funded by grants and donations. The University of the Philippines provided some financial support. Additionally, each ensemble member pays his/her own transportation. During this tour, ensemble members will, as possible, stay in host family homes. Kontra Gapi also conducts community workshops during their various stays to share their music, dance and interpretations.

In an interview before the FACC performance, Abraham shared his vision for Kontra Gapi. He believes that the ensemble embodies four important principles. First, Kontra Gapi celebrates the long and rich history and traditions of the Philippines peoples. Moreover, the group vividly demonstrates Asian musical and dance excellence. Equally importantly, the ensemble is a collective creative force. All of the ensemble’s members contribute to the creation of new works and performances. Finally, Kontra Gapi offers new modern interpretations of Pilipino music, song and dance. He also feels that the ensemble is a cultural ambassador that promotes understanding through musical communication. For example, this past June, Kontra Gapi played with Omaha Native Americans in Nebraska.

Kontra Gapi will next appear at the World Music Festival in Detroit. They have released two music cassettes. For more information on Kontra Gapi, you can contact Abraham at kntragapi@aol.com through October 2000.

Donna La Vigne, 1997 FACC President and Jay La Vigne, current FACC Public Relations Officer, hosted the event. Marilou Pischel prepared a wonderful assortment of foods for the buffet.

John Chin is President of the Organization of Chinese Americans, Denver chapter. OCA is dedicated to "embracing the hopes and aspirations of Chinese and Asian Pacific Americans in the United States." Founded in 1973, OCA has 77 chapters and affiliates. OCA maintains its headquarters in Washington, D.C. The next OCA event will be the Annual OCA Luau on Saturday August 13th. Bring a covered dish to share. Please contact John Chin at johnchin@att.net or (303) 693-2722 for more information. For more on OCA, go to http://www.ocanatl.org.