Ben Sela is best known as Ben the Drummer. He can often be seen hitting a drum set at one of Tel Aviv's major intersections.



Ben Sela, a musician and former model who grew up in Gan Yavne and Holon, was a member of several rock and punk bands.



In 2010 Ben left for the United States. It was there, in the street, with his drum kit, that he found safe haven, inner peace, dignity and a livelihood, as street art is very developed over there.



He and his drums made it to Miami, Los Angeles and Las Vegas as well. Ben: "In Venice Beach, in Santa Monica, street performers are highly regarded. You pay $35 for a year-long street artist license, allowing you to play or practice your art, whatever it is, in the biggest streets and tourist and shopping centers."



In Los Angeles there are specific street performance locations; every morning, artists are assigned their spot by lottery. "What's nice about it is that every two hours you have to move on to the next place," Sela says. That way, there's always a turnover "and tourists don't get bored and the artists work in synch with one another. Plus, this way, no single artist can take control of a particularly good spot and make it his or her own."



In July 2012 Ben Sela returned to Israel and started playing in Tel Aviv's strategic locations such as the Nahalat Binyamin pedestrian mall, Ibn Gvirol Street, Rothschild Boulevard, Bnei Zion Boulevard next to Dizengoff Center, and the beach.



Other than Snoop Dogg and Michael Jackson, tracks by Madonna and Prodigy are also part of Ben the Drummer's mix.