Cynthia Ouandji | Why?

Cynthia Ouandji | Why?
Comedian
@cynthiainpublic | Cynthia O Foxc on FB

Cynthia’s project is about laughter in the midst of a fucked-up system, world, and mentalities. Her medium: a mic, a stage, and captive audience. Her project explores not only her migrant upbringing, but the current differences and misconceptions Africans and African-Americans have against each other, and shared misguided vision of Black Patriarchy. The title of her work: “Why”, is meant to implore the audience to consider the current system of White Patriarchy and all its flaws, as well as envision a world in which Black Patriarchy were enforced. And all those flaws too. This is done by taking the audience through her life as a perpetual migrant from the streets she barely remembers in Cameroon, through the English she was introduced to in Kenya, through the boiling asphalt and cement streets she played soccer on in Angola, through the Southern (yes it’s Southern, they are in the bible belt) weather-worn pavements of Oklahoma where she first realized realized she was black, to the piss smelling pavements of California where she discovered all woke people are liberal but not all liberals are woke, ultimately ending her journey to find home within herself. She also may make some dildo jokes (if men can talk about their dicks, why can’t I talk about mine?).

About Cynthia Ouandji

Cynthia Ouandji is a Stand-up comic. Their comedy work is personal and narrative, at times introspective, and most times ridiculous. They started making jokes because after “pain, loss, and abuse” sometimes all you can do is laugh to keep from crying. In their case, it didn’t work; Ouandji still cries. However, Ouandji’s new found passion fills the gaps in-between crying sessions. 

Born in Yaounde Cameroon, Cynthia Ouandji currently lives in San Jose, California. She has performed at Rooster T Feathers Comedy Club, Sunnyvale, CA in the Newcomers Showcase as well as the 19th Annual Amateur Comedy Competition (2020). Additionally, she has performed not only in Open Mics Shows around the Bay Area, California but in Portland, Oregon, Washington D.C., Miami, Florida, and New York City, New York. 

Currently, Ouandji runs a Virtual Comedy Show called “Comedians & Commentary & Cynthia” (CCC) Show to bring show to others during the COVID-19 crisis and shelter-in-place ordinances of 2020. The show raises for the East Oakland Burrito Roll Collective, a grass-roots organization in Oakland that not only make fresh burritos for the homeless population there, but during the COVID-19 crisis are providing essential health, food and hygiene resources to at-risk communities.