Meet Benka: the Brussels pop artist who caught our ear at Tels Quels

KET loved discovering Benka at the Tels Quels Talent Show at Les Grands Carmes on 16 October. The Brussels-based artist describes a musical world where French chanson meets bossa nova, soul, jazz and vintage influences. With songs about love, emotions and our relationships with others, his project offers an invitation to recognise a little of ourselves in someone else’s story.

A discovery worth following

One of the pleasures of a community talent night is arriving without a carefully planned list of artists to see — and leaving with a name you want to remember. For us at KET, Benka was one of those discoveries.

He appeared on the bill of the Tels Quels Talent Show, an evening bringing solo performers and groups together for short live sets at Les Grands Carmes in central Brussels. Alongside artists working across acoustic pop, drag, poetry and other musical forms, his project found a place in a programme built around discovery and queer creativity.

We loved meeting his musical world there. Now, it feels worth keeping the conversation going beyond that first encounter.

Pop with more than one point of reference

On his Court-Circuit artist profile, Benka introduces his music as free and colourful pop. His references move from French chanson to bossa nova, taking in soul, jazz and vintage sounds along the way.court-circuit

That is a broad palette rather than a neat genre label. It positions the project between songwriting traditions and different musical textures, leaving space for influences to coexist instead of choosing a single lane.

The combination is an intriguing introduction: chanson places words and storytelling in the frame, while the other references suggest a project interested in rhythm, atmosphere and musical colour. These are coordinates for discovering Benka, not a reason to reduce him to a checklist of influences.

Love, feelings and the world between us

At the centre of Benka’s self-description are sincere, sensitive songs about love, emotions, relationships with other people and our connection to the world. His stated wish is to make music in which everyone can recognise themselves.

It is a simple ambition, but not an insignificant one. A song can begin with one person’s experience and still leave room for a listener to bring something entirely different to it.

For queer audiences, that possibility of recognition matters: being able to hear your own feelings in a song without needing your life to match the artist’s story exactly.

Benka’s presentation does not announce a single message or an elaborate character. It begins with feelings and relationships — familiar territory, perhaps, but territory that each voice can make its own.

Why the setting matters

Discovering Benka through Tels Quels is part of this story, too. The talent show created a meeting point between performers and an audience gathered around LGBTQIA+ community life, with short sets allowing several artistic worlds to share the evening.

That kind of platform has a different value from an algorithmic recommendation. You encounter a project in a room, alongside other people, with the possibility of being surprised.

It also allows queer cultural programming to hold more than one sound or form of expression. Benka’s place on a bill spanning different approaches to music and performance was a reminder that a community scene does not need a single aesthetic to feel connected.

His participation should not be used to make assumptions about his personal identity. What we can say is that this was the setting in which KET discovered him — and that we were glad we did.

Practical information

• Artist: Benka.
• Based in: Brussels.
• Musical world: Pop drawing on French chanson, bossa nova, soul, jazz and vintage influences.
• Songwriting themes: Love, emotions and relationships with others and the world.court-circuit
• Artist profile: Explore Benka on Court-Circuit.
• The KET connection: We discovered him at the Tels Quels Talent Show on 16 October 2026 at Les Grands Carmes.
• Further reading: Revisit KET’s introduction to the Tels Quels Talent Show.ket

Sometimes a short set is simply the beginning. Benka gave us a name to remember — and a musical world we are curious to hear more of.

KET Magazine is a community‑driven, non‑profit magazine run by volunteers based in Brussels. Get in touch to share your thoughts or tell us about your activities. You can also promote your events on our website or support our work with a donation. Contact us at Info@ket.brussels.