Presented by Cirque Kalabanté, Afrique en Cirque is a show based on life in Guinea. Yamoussa Bangoura, the creator and stage master of this performance, opens with a brief introduction about himself and his highly adorned kora, a popular West African instrument often used in Guinea for storytelling and musical performances. The kora is later combined with other instruments to create a rich musical atmosphere.

As a pioneer of Guinean circus arts and recipient of the Circus Arts Recognition Award from the Conseil des arts de Montréal in 2023, multidisciplinary artist Bangoura, along with his talented team, transported us to the streetscapes of Guinea. You really do feel the essence as it felt the cast were simply enjoying themselves and we, as the audience, were both observers and participants, drawn in with their warmth and discipline.

I really enjoyed how the elements were understated yet elegant. There were moments of extreme skill and spectacle, which made it authentic but not excessively so. The performers were graceful and poised rather than relying on overt, flashy spectacle. That said, the postures that contortionist Mohamed Ben Sylla was capable of have to be seen to be believed.

The cast members were not just expert performers but also handled the prop changes themselves. This somehow added a sense of authenticity (ordinary life), as it made us feel part of their world. The same joy and dedication were given to these tasks as to the physical sets and human pyramids. There was one section where the Cyr wheel was rolled around with a drumstick, and my friend mentioned that it was something she used to do back home with a hula hoop.

My favourite moment was the scene with the hard hats, which was full of charisma, charm, humour, and skill. The costumes were another highlight: the men wore unembellished outfits while the women were adorned in brightly coloured, beautifully patterned bodysuits.

This production is totally immersive. The rhythms and beats were not just background elements; they had as much presence and energy as the performers themselves. The music was enjoyable and full of movement, complementing the cast’s performance rather than being secondary to it. This synergy made it all-encompassing as the aural elements were as strong as the visual elements. 

For me it was this enhancement that made the performance immersive, particularly when drumming or singing was involved. At times we were invited to be part of the beat through clapping, or to join in the song by responding to each cue. 

As I went to the daytime performance there were a few families and I noticed a couple of kids bopping up and down on the laps of the parents, with one older girl standing near the air conditioning near the stage, clapping, dancing and plunging herself into the entire experience. As seated members of the audience when we were invited to clap and beat and also echo back responses to key words. It was hard not to want to get up and groove around just like her, as some of the beats and rhythms were particularly appealing. 

The entire experience was heartwarming. While I enjoyed every aspect of the show, for me, the soul of the performance was the combined sounds – the voice, the rhythms, and the beats.