dIE TAKTLOSEN were founded in 1997, making them one of the longest-running queer choirs in the city of Cologne. The choir’s repertoire is as diverse as the choir itself. At concerts, dIE TAKTLOSEN serve up a musical cornucopia of arrangements, some of which have been written especially for the choir.

The story of dIE TAKTLOSEN began deep down in the vaults of a former bakery, which also functioned as a queer party venue at weekends. Since then, the choir has sung in various unusual venues, such as a tattoo studio, on top of Cologne Cathedral, and even under a traditional rice barn from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Their repertoire has varied over the years, but their passion for singing and the dedication of their choir director Ilka Tenne-Mathow have remained constant.

Their exchanges with queer choirs from cities such as Brussels and Warsaw have brought both sides enriching cultural experiences and lasting friendships through a shared love of music. It is in this spirit that they look forward to Various Voices in Brussels.

Especially in times when many countries are experiencing a rollback in acceptance and support for the LGBTQ+ community, visibility and networking are key. Various Voices offers a great opportunity to do both. dIE TAKTLOSEN want to sing together and get to know other choirs. In doing so, they also hope to represent the diversity of queer life and inspire the people of Brussels with their voices. The emotional highlights are bound to be their performances and, of course, the parties at the end of each day.