Koang Deng Kun Kong is a

South Sudanese South Sudan is home to around 60 indigenous ethnic groups and 80 linguistic partitions among a population of around million. Historically, most ethnic groups were lacking in formal Western political institutions, with land held by the communit ...

born-Canada based musician, songwriter, dancer and artist professionally known as K-Denk. He was born in

Renk The RENK Group (stylised as RENK Group) is a German company and ranked among the top ten companies in the German defense industry in terms of sales in 2010. Its main production sites are located in Augsburg, Rheine, Hanover and Winterthur (Swit ...

Music career

Denk began his music career in 2004 as a member of the

Kakuma Kakuma is a town in northwestern Turkana County, Kenya. It is the site of a UNHCR refugee camp, established in 1992. The population of Kakuma town was 60,000 in 2014, having grown from around 8,000 in 1990. In 1991, the camp was established to hos ...

Presbyterian Church choir. Denk took part in

Tusker Project Fame ''Tusker Project Fame'' is an East African reality-singing competition show sponsored by Tusker Lager. The show is similar to American Idol and Project Fame South Africa, musicians compete to win cash and a one-year record deal with Universal Mu ...

2010 representing

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the C ...

, which was widely regarded as his breakout moment. He has sung with other artists in the past. In 2018, Denk went on a tour of South Sudanese

refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

camps in

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

and

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

as part of an "outreach programme" for people affected by the

South Sudanese civil war The South Sudanese Civil War was a multi-sided civil war in South Sudan between forces of the government and opposition forces. In December 2013, President Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar and ten others of attempting a coup d'état. ...

. Denk's song ''Brighter Day'' was played over the radio to celebrate the 2018 ceasefire that brought an end to the civil war.

Discography

{, class="wikitable" , +Songs !Song Title !Year , - , Ou kene Guut , 2017 , - , Guola n iwi da ping , 2017 , - , Wimuon , 2017 , - , Happy Wedding , 2017 , - , Ruor Nyamar , 2017 , - , Thieli paar , 2017 , - , William Deng , 2017 , - , Guola Ni Wida , 2017 , - , Kni ni dhiech , 2017 , - , Thieli Chaot , 2017 , - , Engu Geri , 2017 , - , Ya Hobi , 2017 , - , Bakaji Ft. Sweet Angel , 2017 , - , Ou Kene Guut , 2017 , - , Enijin Kerua , 2018 , - , Beautiful Lady , 2018 , - , Ou ce jiek , 2018 , - , Rew , 2018 , - , My Babe , 2018 , - , Juzza , 2018 , - , Can't Wait To Love Another Day , 2019 , - , Ba Guor Ni Dupku , 2019 , - , Dance with You , 2019 , - , Shine Up , 2020 , - , Hope There will be another day , 2020

Studio albums

{, class="wikitable" , + List of Studio Albums ! Title ! Year ! Label ! Format , - , ''William Deng'' , October 21, 2017 , WangBoy Music Record Label , Digital download

Awards

*In 2011, Denk won "Best HipHop Collaboration" and "HipHop Artist of the year" award at East Africa Kisima Music Awards. *In 2019, he was nominated in the South Sudan Music Awards in "Best International Act" & Best Video of the Video "Jouza" categories.

Personal life

Denk has 4 sisters and 1 brother. His father died in 1992 as a result of the

Second Sudanese Civil War The Second Sudanese Civil War was a conflict from 1983 to 2005 between the central Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. It was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originate ...

. In 2013, Denk received significant attention when he openly declared his allegiance to the

Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (abbreviated SPLM-IO), also known as the anti-governmental forces (AGF), is a mainly South Sudanese political party and rebel group that split from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in 20 ...

, posting a video where he brandished an assault rifle. Denk later rescinded his support for the group, instead going back to music and declaring his support for a peaceful resolution to the

South Sudanese Civil War The South Sudanese Civil War was a multi-sided civil war in South Sudan between forces of the government and opposition forces. In December 2013, President Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar and ten others of attempting a coup d'état. ...

. Denk, between 2010 and 2013 attended Admas University Ethiopia, and in 2017 graduated with a diploma in music from Day Star University

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

References

External links

K Denk BiographyK Denk at WillyentPopular music in South Sudan
* ttps://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/53688 Tusker Project Fame 5 in full gear as Rwandan contestant is axedbr>Former TPF contestant K-Denk, a warlord?
{{DEFAULTSORT:K-Denk Living people South Sudanese musicians South Sudanese singers People from Juba South Sudanese emigrants to Canada South Sudanese emigrants to the United States South Sudanese songwriters South Sudanese singer-songwriters Year of birth missing (living people)