The Luckman Celebrates Black History Month With Jazz at Lincoln Center and Cirque Kalabanté

The Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State LA will welcome Jazz at Lincoln Center and Cirque Kalabanté in celebration of Black History Month. Jazz at Lincoln Center brings the soul of New Orleans and the spirit of Mardi Gras with New Orleans Songbook on Saturday, February 1, at 8 pm. Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Éloize, and Cavalia alum Yamoussa Bangoura’s Cirque Kalabanté presents Afrique en Cirque on Sunday, February 16, at 6pm.

New Orleans Songbook is a celebration of the legendary composers and timeless songs that define the Crescent City – the historic epicenter of jazz. From the pioneering sounds of Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong to the distinctive styles of Ellis Marsalis and James Black, New Orleans has long been an apex of musical innovation and inspiration. Led by pianist Luther S. Allison and vocalists Quiana Lynell and Milton Suggs, New Orleans Songbook immerses audiences in the captivating and timeless spirit of this vibrant city.

Inspired by daily life in Guinea, Afrique en Cirque shares the beauty, youth and artistry of African culture. The performance features acrobats who execute gravity-defying moves and human pyramids, accompanied by the contemporary sounds of live Afro-Jazz, percussion, and kora. 

Yamoussa Bangoura, founder of Cirque Kalabante, is a multidisciplinary artist who began in cirque during his early years in Guinea. He studied the Nyamakala cirque tradition practiced by the Fula people of West Africa. He later joined Guinea’s original circus company, Circus Baobob, with whom he toured Africa and Europe. In the early 2000s, he relocated to Montreal after being recruited by Cirque Éloize – later joining the casts of Cirque du Soleil and Cavalia.

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