François "Féral" Benga (1906–1957) was a Senegalese dancer and became a sought after model of the

Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics and scholarship centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. At the t ...

, his portraits and sculptures taken by Carl Van Vechten, Richmond Barthé and

George Platt Lynes George Platt Lynes (April 15, 1907 – December 6, 1955) was an American fashion photography, fashion and advertising, commercial photographer who worked in the 1930s and 1940s. He produced photographs featuring many gay artists and writers from ...

among others.

Biography

François "Féral" Benga was the illegitimate grandchild of one of Dakar's wealthiest property owners. Benga left Dakar in 1925 to move to Paris and his father disinherited him. In 1930, Benga starred in '' The Blood of a Poet'', an avant-garde film directed by Jean Cocteau and financed by

Charles de Noailles Charles de Noailles (26 September 1891 in Paris – 28 April 1981), Arthur Anne Marie Charles, Vicomte de Noailles, was a French nobleman and patron of the arts. Biography Charles was born in Paris on 26 September 1891, the son of François Jo ...

. In France, Benga was the Folies Bergère star; for a brief period his dance partner was

Myrtle Watkins Myrtle Watkins (June 23, 1908 – November 10, 1968) was an American-born Mexican dancer, jazz and Latin American music singer, and actress, who came to be known in the United States and Mexico as ''Paquita Zarate''. Early life Myrtle Watkins ...

Postcard of Feral Benga in Folies Bergere

In the summer of 1934, Richmond Barthé went on a tour to Paris. This trip exposed Barthé to classical art, but also to performers such as Féral Benga and Josephine Baker. He was thoroughly enchanted by Benga and led to Barthé taking a sculpture of Féral Benga in 1935. In 1935, Benga's partner,

Geoffrey Gorer Geoffrey Edgar Solomon Gorer (26 March 1905 – 24 May 1985) was an English anthropologist and writer, noted for his application of psychoanalytic techniques to anthropology. Born into a non-practicing Jewish family, he was educated at Charterhou ...

, wrote ''Africa Dances'', dedicated to Benga. It was the result of a trip they made to Africa in 1933 in order to study the native dances. Cyril Connolly would later said "There was only one book I possessed: Geoffrey Gorer's Africa Dances (Faber, 1935) describing a tour he made with the Senegalese dancer Féral Benga before the last war. Benga had opened a night-club in Paris; I had been there and been overwhelmed by the power of his dancing and the magic of his drum-rhythms." In the middle of the 1930s, Benga was painted by

James A. Porter James Amos Porter (December 22, 1905 – February 28, 1970) was an African-American art historian, artist and teacher. He is best known for establishing the field of African-American art history and was influential in the African American Art ...

, in ''Soldat Senegalese''. Back in Manhattan, Benga was a gay icon. He moved in the

circles and had also a brief affair with

Kenneth Macpherson Kenneth Macpherson (27 March 1902 – 14 June 1971) was a Scottish-born novelist, photographer, critic, and film-maker, the son of Scottish painter John 'Pop' Macpherson and Clara Macpherson, and descended from six generations of artists. It i ...

, who was at the time in a relationship with an African-American singer,

Jimmie Daniels James Lesley Daniels (November 23, 1907 – June 29, 1984) was an American cabaret performer, actor, model, and nightclub owner, a part of the Harlem Renaissance. Early life and career James Lesley Daniels was born in Laredo, Texas, in 1907. He ...

. In 1938 Benga was painted by Pavel Tchelitchew, and the painting, ''Deposition'' was owned by

Lincoln Kirstein Lincoln Edward Kirstein (May 4, 1907 – January 5, 1996) was an American writer, impresario, art connoisseur, philanthropist, and cultural figure in New York City, noted especially as co-founder of the New York City Ballet. He developed and sus ...

. Back in Paris in 1947, Benga owned a bar, La Rose Rouge, at 53 Rue de la Harpe. The club featured an African cabaret, all performers African students in Paris universities. The bar attracted a young clientele, including Nico, Mireille, and

Jean Rougeuil Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Je ...

, who opened the attached club, Le Club de la Rose Rouge. He rests in the Saint-Denis cemetery in Châteauroux, France (funeral grant in the division 8 n°18 C - This funeral concession will expire in 2028).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benga, Feral 1906 births 1957 deaths Senegalese male dancers People from Dakar Senegalese LGBT people Senegalese expatriates in France 20th-century LGBT people