Féral Benga ran away during a trip to Paris from his homeland of Senegal aged just seventeen. He went on to star at the legendary Folies-Bergère, a half-naked, gay, black man, surrounded onstage by topless white women (pic below) — in the 1920s and 30s. He also acted, worked as a nude model and later in life, became a successful businessman.
Féral Benga’s father, a local employee of the French colonial administration in majority-Muslim Senegal, mistreated his son. So during a trip to Paris, Féral ran away. After two years of working odd jobs, he auditioned for the Folies-Bergère. Born François Benga, he took the stage name Féral — in French, ‘wild and untamed’. He started as a chorus boy in a line-up of black male dancers but before long was partnering Josephine Baker of iconic banana skirt fame in duets.
In one number, he dragged up to impersonate the Black Venus, becoming known as ‘the black Mercury’ or ‘the beautiful Negro Adonis’. (Pic below)
However, as a man, especially a black man — a gay, black man even — no one expected Féral’s career to survive long. He was exotic and erotic — a novelty. But Féral Benga’s beauty, talent, charisma, intelligence and hard work ensured he endured.
In addition to his club act, Féral posed for painters, sculptors and photographers.
A nineteen-inch high bronze statue by gay African-American sculptor Richmond Barthé sold for $629,000 in 2020.
Click here for Féral Benga by Richmond Barthé.
Féral also posed nude for Russian painter Pavel Tchelitchew’s Deposition.
Click here for Pavel Tchelitchew’s Deposition.
NSFW!: Click here for Féral photographed full-frontal nude by George Platt Lynes
In 1930, Féral turned his hand to acting, featuring as the Guardian Angel in Jean Cocteau’s silent avant-garde masterpiece The Blood of a Poet. Cocteau very much appreciated the beauty of the male nude.
Watch The Blood of a Poet free at the Internet Archive.
Féral also travelled to the US and in 1933 took then lover Geoffrey Gorer to Africa to study native dances. Gorer’s consequent book Africa Dances launched his career as an anthropologist.
By the late 30s, Féral lived in an expensive luxury apartment near the Champs-Élysées and drove a custom-made Delahaye convertible. But the invasion of France by Nazi Germany ended all that. As a French-speaking African, and a gay man, Féral was in imminent danger. He went into hiding for four years and thus survived the occupation, but with his health damaged.
Post-war, he opened a bar that featured an all-African cabaret. He soon bought the building housing his business and let out apartments on the floors above.
Sadly, Féral Benga died in 1957 aged just 51.
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