The upcoming performance with Mali Obomsawin: Sugarcane has been cancelled. All ticket holders will be contacted regarding their tickets.
“We have made the difficult decision to cancel the live score performance of Sugarcane at State Theatre. It was an honor to score this important film, whose story is closely linked to the experience of Wabanaki people in Maine and eastern Canada. I hope everyone who bought tickets will watch it online and enjoy the music. I also recommend screening the film “Dawnland” (2018) for further education.
As a performing artist the emotional energy required to deliver this music is not something I have the capacity for at this time. I sincerely hope to return to the venue with a different project soon. Much love to my Portland community <3″ – Mali Obomsawin
"Obomsawin reminds listeners constantly that folk music shouldn’t be about pliant, pretty subservience, and that Abenaki culture is loudly, proudly living and expanding."
Bassist Mali Obomsawin, a member of the Odanak First Nation and one of Grammy.com’s top ten emerging jazz artists, brings forth her exceptional musicality as the composer of the Oscar-nominated film, Sugarcane. The 2024 documentary, an investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school, shines a spotlight on the Sugarcane Reserve. In this powerful evening of music and film, Obomsawin and her band perform live to the backdrop of the film. A stunning tribute to the resilience of Native people and their way of life, Sugarcane is an epic cinematic portrait of a community during a moment of international reckoning, illuminating the beauty of a community breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma and finding the strength to persevere. When not performing with the likes of Esperanza Spalding, Dave Holland, Billy Hart, Peter Apfelbaum, Julia O’Keefe’s Indigenous Big Band, and others – Obomsawin, who lives in Portland, can be found fronting her own quartet and the indie rock duo Deerlady.
SHOW TIMES
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2026 – 7 PM
CANCELLED
STATE THEATRE, PORTLAND
RUNTIME: 2 HOURS
PORTTIX BOX OFFICE
TICKETS: $30 • $45 • $55
SENIOR (65+) DISCOUNT AVAILABLE
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Wheelchair accessible. Assistive Listening Devices available. Read more about accessibility at State Theatre Portland.
Content Warning: This performance contains references to trauma and violence.
ASL available upon request.