Ahmat Jallo – Bio (Sunjata)

Ahmat has been performing for years in theatre and short films in and around New York City.  He can be seen most recently in a cameo of Jon Batiste’s I Need You music video on YouTube.  Some of his short film credits include Big Chief, Muna and Jamal, Hill n’ Gully and a documentary (Kesi, Born of War). His most recent theatrical performance was the leading role of Preston in Arthur French’s production of Superman in a Nigerian Café in Bonn Eating Bratwurst.  Other principal roles include; Obatala in Shango at the National Black Theater; Tata Agricol in Papiamentu and Peter Jesse in Curacao at the Joria Productions Theater, President Mogae in Wabenzi, the Big Men with Mercedes Benz at the New Ohio theater, Chief Odhiambo in Waafrika at the Blue Heron Arts Centre, Pastor in The Black Hermit at the Samuel Beckett theater, Walter Sizulu in Mandela at the Henry Street Settlement. In regional theater, he played the principal role of Balla, the griot in Sundiata, the Lion King of Mali under the directorship of Barry Kornhauser at the Fulton Theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  He had done ample voiceover work in West African accents and continue to have some featured background work on various TV & film productions.  He studied acting at the HB studios in NYC with Arthur French, Michael Beckett, Myra Carter and Edward Morehouse. He trained for voice with coaches, Lilene Mansell and Mae Monroe and commercial technique training with Tom Harris at the Endeavor studios.  Ahmat is grateful for the opportunities presented to him on a daily, humbled and equally excited to work on this epic Sunjata project under the helmsman ship of Aaron Greenberg aka Arouna Kouyate.