How Vickash Beni Kat’s debut album captivated global audiences

Michael Adesina

The bustling streets of Kinshasa are buzzing with more than just the sounds of traffic and traders’ calls.

From shopfront speakers to public gatherings, the rhythms of Eh Ja, a standout track from Congolese singer-songwriter Vickash Beni Kat’s debut album “Am Different”, have become the city’s new soundtrack.

The album, which recently soared to No. 1 on the Pan-African Streaming Chart, has also gained strong traction across diaspora communities in Europe and North America, marking an extraordinary rise for a debut project that had little commercial push.

Born and raised in a working-class district of Kinshasa, Beni Kat’s journey to stardom was shaped by the vibrancy of his environment. “My childhood was noisy in the best way,” he reflected.

“I learned early how to turn chaos into music.” Before breaking out as a solo artist, he honed his craft behind the scenes, penning songs for other musicians and producing underground singles.

Am Different is a deeply layered project that weaves personal storytelling with universal themes. Tracks such as Astroverse explore the search for creative space, Goddess pays homage to women as pillars of stability, while Setting the Standard underlines his commitment to excellence in a competitive industry.

The closing song, World on Fire, shifts tempos to mirror the unpredictability of life.

Music analysts describe the album’s organic success as rare.

Cultural critic Fatima Bencheikh observed: “This is a case of the music travelling faster than the marketing. That’s a rare thing.”

With Am Different, Vickash Beni Kat has firmly announced his arrival on the continental and global music scene, striking a chord with audiences far beyond the streets of Kinshasa.