Cirque Kalabanté will host an eclectic, electrifying and African-influenced performance for SUNY Oswego at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 25, in Tyler Hall's Waterman Theater, sponsored by Artswego.

In-person tickets are sold out as this time, but people are still invited to tune in for a virtual performance.

Based in Montreal and founded by Yamoussa Bangoura, Cirque Kalabanté, otherwise known as Kalabanté Productions, promotes the artistic expression of African cultures through dance, circus arts and music. Productions from the group include “Kô Ryass,” “Kumbaya,” “Uno,” “Kira Néné” and “Afrique en Cirque.”  

Bangoura was born in Guinea, West Africa, and formed the organization in 2007. He cultivated the group's identity, mixing the traditional circus acts familiar to North America with the flair of African artistry, especially concerning music. 

This hybrid of performance styles is what Bangoura hopes will allow people to more easily immerse themselves into the performance. “We want our audience to feel right at home when they watch us,” Bangoura stated. 

The idea of accessibility feeds into the company's approach for recruiting talent as well. The main motto for Kalabanté Productions is: "If you can talk, you can sing, if you can walk, you can dance." This saying encapsulates their general mission as they seek to provide and expand the opportunities of young performers. The word “Kalabanté” in the Susu language even means “child go-getter, ambitious, with exceptional courage.”

This engagement of Cirque Kalabante is made possible through the ArtsCONNECT program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and with funds from the Shineman Endowed Fund at SUNY Oswego.

The event is free for current SUNY Oswego students, $5 for other students (kindergarten through college); $15 for faculty, staff and alumni; and $20 for general admission, with only virtual tickets remaining, via tickets.oswego.edu.

For more information on this event and other upcoming Artswego events, visit oswego.edu/artswego.

-- Written by Bryce Levac of the Class of 2023