Dieudonné Kabongo (1950 – October 11, 2011) was a
Congolese-born Belgian comedian, humorist, musician, and actor. Kabongo co-starred in the 2000 film, ''
Lumumba'', portraying
Godefroid Munongo
Godefroid Munongo Mwenda M'Siri (1925–1992) was a Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congolese politician. He was a minister and briefly interim president, in 1961. It has been claimed he was involved in ethnic cleansing and in the assassination ...
.
He was the first comedian of African descent to achieve widespread popularity in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
.
Biography
Kabongo was born in 1950 in
Katanga,
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo (french: Congo belge, ; nl, Belgisch-Congo) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964.
Colo ...
, which is now the
Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
.
[ He immigrated to Belgium in 1970.][ He originally studied electromechanical engineering in ]Virton
Virton (; Gaumais: ''Viertån''; wa, Vierton) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg, Belgium. It is also the administrative centre of the district (''arrondissement'') of the same name, as well as the pri ...
, Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, before embarking on a self-apprenticeship in theater and writing.[
In 1984, Kabongo and fellow actor Mirko Popovitch jointly won the First Prize at the Festival International du Rire de Rochefort.][ His film credits included '' Identity Pieces'' in 1998, the 2000 film '' Lumumba'', directed by ]Raoul Peck
Raoul Peck (born 9 September 1953 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti) is a Haitian filmmaker, of both documentary and feature films. He is known for using historical, political, and personal characters to tackle and recount societal issues and historical ...
, and the 2005 film, ''Le Couperet
''The Axe'' (US title: ''The Ax'') (french: Le couperet) is a 2005 black comedy-drama thriller film directed by Costa-Gavras and starring José Garcia, Karin Viard, and Olivier Gourmet. The film is an adaptation of the 1997 novel ''The Ax'' by Do ...
'', directed by Costa-Gavras
Costa-Gavras (short for Konstantinos Gavras; el, Κωνσταντίνος Γαβράς; born 12 February 1933) is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for films with political and s ...
.[ He was awarded the lifetime achievement award by the Africa Filmfestival in 2010.][ For his role in '' The Invader'', he received a ]Magritte Award
A Magritte Award (french: ) is an accolade presented by the Académie André Delvaux of Belgium to recognize cinematic achievement in the film industry. Modelled after the French César Award, the formal ceremony at which the awards are presented ...
nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Kabongo collapsed and died during a performance on stage at a cultural center
A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run.
Asia
* Ce ...
in Jette
Jette (, ) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the north-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Ganshoren, Koekelberg, and Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, as well as the Flemi ...
, a district of Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, on October 11, 2011, at the age of 61.[
]
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kabongo, Dieudonne
1950 births
2011 deaths
20th-century Belgian male actors
Belgian male film actors
Belgian male comedians
Democratic Republic of the Congo emigrants to Belgium
People from Katanga Province
Deaths onstage
21st-century Belgian musicians
20th-century Belgian musicians