Moscow-funded cultural events have been held in the North African country’s two largest cities, Casablanca and Rabat
The famous Pyatnitsky Russian Folk Chorus has made its first appearance in Morocco, with a concert in the capital and another in Casablanca, international outreach and cultural-support agency Rossotrudnichestvo has reported.
The performances are part of the ‘Russian Express’ project and were supported by the Russian House cultural amenity, the event in Rabat being presented at the National Theater named after Mohammed V, the first king of the former French colony.
The Pyatnitsky group’s show presented a program lasting about an hour and a half and including Russian folk songs, romances and dance numbers.
Patrons of the arts in Morocco and representatives of its Russian-speaking community enjoyed listening to such works as “Great Russia,” “Russian World,” “Birches,” “Horse,” “Moscow Evenings,” “Katyusha,” “Near the River, Near the Bridge,” “My Motherland,” “Two Doves,” “Steppe,” “Egorka” and others.
Alexander Sen, who heads the Russian House in Rabat, said the concert in the capital was an excellent presentation, both for local residents and for Russian compatriots living in the nation.
“For the Russian House in Rabat, it is a great honor to present for the first time to the Moroccan public one of the oldest musical groups in Russia, whose history spans more than 110 years. I am very glad that, thanks to the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, as well as the assistance of Roskonzert and Mohammed V National Theater, we managed to organize for Moroccan viewers, and for our compatriots living here, such a bright and memorable gift on the eve of the New Year,” he said.
Staff at Russian House in Rabat noted that the musicians and singers felt that their performance there drew a response in the hearts of the audience, making their work more enjoyable by making people happy.
The choir was created in 1910 to bring together singers, dancers, and musicians from 30 regions of Russia. More than 40 Pyatnitsky laureates have been awarded prizes in all-Russia and in international competitions.
