Presented By: Sid Williams Theatre Society
Cirque Kalabanté is a group of amazing acrobats and live musicians celebrating the diversity of traditional African arts combined with the virtuosity of the North American modern circus.
Afrique En Cirque symbolizes the strength, agility and joy of life found in African youth. A handful of daring acrobats perform accompanied by the pulsating rhythm of the djembes of Guinea, and the melodious sound of the Kora. Take a trip to Africa where the sets and costumes pay homage to the Guinean diaspora through high level acrobatics, innovative choreography and colourful rhythms.
Kalabanté Productions was created by Yamoussa Bangoura, a multidisciplinary artist of Guinean origin. As a child, Yamoussa studied the circus performers he saw on European TV and the Nyamakala tradition of circus, practiced by the Fula people of West Africa. He eventually joined Guinea’s original circus company, Circus Baobob. with whom he toured Africa and Europe. Then, in the early 2000s, he was recruited to come to Canada with Cirque Eloize, a Montreal based company, and he also performed with Cirque du Soleil and Cavalia (cirque with horses).
In 2007 Yamoussa realized his dream and opened his own company Kalabanté Productions in Montreal. He recruited many of his extended family members to join the company, including his twin sisters, brothers, and cousins. His aim was to found a school of circus arts specializing in the African arts. As the company director he develops his own shows that combine these elements and his shows have been performed worldwide.
Yamoussa works to pass on and share his values and passions in the circus arts through his school. He teaches various artistic disciplines, such as African dance and traditional music of West Africa, that in turn helps one to master the circus arts, Kalabante Productions is proud to be able to share their original work, achievements, and also assist with the humanitarian mission to help the Guinean community of which Yamoussa and many of his company members come from.
