Ben Aylon
Best Album 2021
Songlines Magazine
⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
Songlines Magazine
⭑⭑⭑⭑
Downbeat Magazine
World Music NetworRiverboat

Tour Dates

Apr 17

Yellow Submarine

Duo with Yonathan Avishai

Jerusalem, Israel

Apr 19

Shablul Jazz

Duo with Yonathan Avishai

Tel Aviv, Israel

Apr 19

Mama Africa • Xalam Ambient

Solo

Harduf, Israel

Past Dates

Mar 26

Alhambra

With Estas Tonne

Geneva, Switzerland

Mar 23

Kongresshaus

With Estas Tonne

Zürich, Switzerland

Mar 21

Tonhalle

With Estas Tonne

St. Gallen, Switzerland

Mar 8

Workshop Tel Aviv

Sabar Workshop

Tel Aviv, Israel

Feb 10

Workshop Buenos Aires

Sabar Workshop

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Jan 12

Workshop Barcelona

Sabar Workshop

Barcelona, Spain

Oct 30

FS9

Solo

Herzliya, Israel

Oct 2

World Music Asia

With Shye Ben Tzur

Wuhan, China

Sep 28

World Music Asia

With Shye Ben Tzur

Shanghai, China

Sep 13

YAARA Open Studio

Solo

Jaffa, Israel

Sep 12

Tarab TLV

With Shye Ben Tzur

Tel Aviv, Israel

Aug 31

East West House

Duo with Shai Maestro

Jaffa, Israel

Aug 20

Earth Celebration

With KODO

Sado Island, Japan

Aug 8

The Zone

With Shye Ben Tzur

Tel Aviv, Israel

Jul 20

Tahanat Ruah

With Shye Ben Tzur

Tivon, Israel

Jul 13

Confederation House

With Shye Ben Tzur

Jerusalem, Israel

Jun 30

Shaffa

Solo

Jaffa, Israel

Jun 29

White Night TLV

With Shye Ben Tzur

Tel Aviv, Israel

Jun 23

Wassa Wassa

Harduf, Israel

Jun 19

Shablul Jazz

Duo with Shai Maestro

Tel Aviv, Israel

May 31

Jazz Kissa

Solo

Tel Aviv, Israel

May 17

Estas Tonne • Internal Flight

With Estas Tonne

Rishpon, Israel

May 12

Grand Theatre National De Dakar

With Ndiaye Rose Family

Dakar, Senegal

Apr 28

Sufi Festival

With Shye Ben Tzur

Kfar Nokdim, Israel

Apr 9

Beit Haamudim

Duo with Gilad Hekselman

Tel Aviv, Israel

Mar 31

Tremolo Station

Duo with Shai Maestro

Netanya, Israel

Mar 9

East West House

Duo with Shai Maestro

Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel

Feb 24

Yoga Desert Gathering

With Shye Ben Tzur

Nokdim, Israel

Feb 15

Jazz Kissa

Solo

Tel Aviv, Israel

Feb 13

FS9

Solo

Herzliya, Israel

Feb 7

PechaKucha Tel Aviv

Solo

Tel Aviv, Israel

Feb 6

PechaKucha Tel Aviv

Solo

Tel Aviv, Israel

Jan 25

Ecole Des Sables

Solo

Toubab Dialaw, Senegal

Jan 24

SOS Children's VIllage

Solo

Dakar, Senegal

Jan 24

Italian Embassy in Dakar

Solo

Dakar, Senegal

Jan 23

Aly Ndiaye Rose, Ben Aylon & Les Rosette

Dakar, Senegal

Jan 21

Baye Dame Bou Yaye feat. Ben Aylon

Rufisque, Senegal

Jan 20

Thio Mbaye Meets Ben Aylon

Dakar, Senegal

Jan 20

Kenkelibaa Morning Show

Solo

Dakar, Senegal

Jan 14

ElectrAfrique

Solo

Dakar, Senegal

Jan 11

Senegal Tour • January 11th-26th

Solo

Dakar, Senegal

Dec 29

Jazz Kissa

Solo

Tel Aviv, Israel

Dec 25

Rajasthan

With Shye Ben Tzur

Rajasthan, India

Dec 9

Kibbutz Amir

Solo

Kibbutz Amir, Israel

Dec 8

East West House • SOLD OUT

Duo with Saboula Bangoura

Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel

Nov 19

Tel Aviv Cinematheque

With Shye Ben Tzur

Tel Aviv, Israel

Nov 17

Live Sound Meditation

With Danny Kuttner

Herzliya, Israel

Nov 10

Be'er Sheva Old City

Solo

Be'er Sheva, Israel

Oct 15

Jazz & The City

Salzburg, Austria

Oct 11

Manggha Kraków

Krakow, Poland

Oct 7

Eklektik Session

Solo

Wroclaw, Poland

Sep 13

Ashan Hazman

Solo

Beer Sheva, Israel

Sep 9

NIA African Dance Workshop

With Ortal Atsbaha

Tel Aviv, Israel

Sep 8

Jazz Kissa feat. Shai Maestro & Yonatan Levi

Solo

Tel Aviv, Israel

Sep 8

Sound Meditation

With Danny Kuttner

Tzukei Yam, Israel

Aug 27

Chiala Afrika Festival

Solo

Graz, Austria

Aug 26

Treibhaus Innsbruck • With Aly Keita

Solo

Innsbruck, Austria

Aug 20

Jazz & Joy Festival

Solo

Worms, Germany

Aug 19

Überschlag Festival

Solo

Hannover, Germany

Aug 12

Osho Festival

With Shye Ben Tzur

Giv'at Haviva, Israel

Aug 10

Selina Jerusalem

With Shye Ben Tzur

Jerusalem, Israel

Jul 12

Alsheikh

With Shye Ben Tzur

Tel Aviv, Israel

Jul 5

Jerusalem Jazz Festival

Duo with Saboula Bangoura

Jerusalem, Israel

Jun 30

White Night

Duo with Saboula Bangoura

Tel Aviv, Israel

Jun 30

White Night

With Shye Ben Tzur

Tel Aviv, Israel

Jun 18

Assaf Winery

With Shye Ben Tzur

Kedmat Zvi, Israel

Jun 16

Soho House

Solo

Tel Aviv, Israel

Jun 6

FS9

Duo with Saboula Bangoura

Herzeliya, Israel

Jun 5

TEDER

With Shye Ben Tzur

Tel Aviv, Israel

May 24

Pausa

Solo

Smolarz Auditorium, Tel Aviv

May 18

Hod Hamahat

Solo

Tel Aviv, Israel

Apr 11

Teo

With Shye Ben Tzur

Herzeliya, Israel

Mar 24

East West House

Solo

Tel Aviv, Israel

Mar 3

Drunken Carp

Solo

Amir, Israel

Feb 12

Selina Mantur

Solo

Beit Oren, Israel

Feb 2

TEDER

Duo with Saboula Bangoura

Tel Aviv, Israel

x

Tour

Mar 21

Tonhalle

With Estas Tonne

St. Gallen, Switzerland
Mar 23

Kongresshaus

With Estas Tonne

Zürich, Switzerland
Mar 26

Alhambra

With Estas Tonne

Geneva, Switzerland
All Dates & Tickets

Ben Aylon

Defined as a border-breaking musician and percussionist, Ben Aylon is known for his contemporary Senegalese drumming, explosive burning rhythms and signature hybrid drumming style. In his live show 'One Man Tribe' Ben creates a massive tribe-of-drummers sound with a ten-piece Senegalese drum set and presents his compositions on the Xalam, a Senegalese string instrument.

Ben started his journey in West African drumming with Saboula Bangoura, a master drummer from Guinea Conakry living in Karkur, Israel. At 20, Ben traveled to the Gambia twice to research the Djembe drumming. A few years later he travelled to Senegal. little did he know, that this trip will shape his future musical path, setting Senegalese drumming as his primary source of inspiration.

From that moment, Ben studied Senegalese drumming under the guidance of Aly Ndiaye Rose and Doudou Ndiaye Rose, deepening into the traditional drumming and compositions of the family in Senegal. During the following years, Ben developed his way of performing the rhythms and compositions, inventing new techniques, creating a massive multi-layered drumming experience and sound.

In January 2020 and 2023, Ben gained national recognition in Senegal after being featured on popular Senegalese TV shows and performing his solo shows around the capital, Dakar. His widespread popularity has brought him together with the legendary Youssou Ndour and enabled his many musical collaborations with artists including Cheikh Lô, Khaira Arby, Omar Pene, Awadi and Doudou Ndiaye Rose.

Ben always carried the xalam/djeli ngoni with him in his quest. In the moments between the high energy and drumming, he slowly started to compose the soundtrack of his travels, which eventually became the ground for his debut international album ‘Xalam’ released on World Music Network. Seven years in the making, the album presents his xalam playing and compositions featuring Doudou Ndiaye Rose, Khaira Arby, Amy Sacko and AvevA. Ben produced this album to reflect his musical vision, always respecting tradition while at the same time innovating and elevating the music and instruments of Mali and Senegal into a fresh contemporary setting.

Recently, Ben was nominated for Best Artist 2022 by Songlines Magazine. ‘Xalam’ was announced as Best Album 2021 by Songlines Magazine, hit #5 on both TWMC and WMCE music charts, and received a 5 star 'Top of The World' review on Songlines Magazine, followed by a 4-star review on DownBeat Magazine.

Ben performed and recorded with world-renowned musicians such as: Pino Palladino, Blake Mills, Noga Erez, Doudou Ndiaye Rose, Cheikh Lo, Bombino, Yossi Fine, Shye Ben-Tzur, Didier Awadi, Omar Pene, Khaira Arby and Amy Sacko to name a few.

Xalam

Best Album 2021
Songlines Magazine
⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
Songlines Magazine
⭑⭑⭑⭑
Downbeat Magazine

"What stands out is how seamlessly Aylon has absorbed the essence of different West African styles – from Mande griot music to Senegalese mbalax via desert blues – and distilled them into a unique and highly compelling montage" - Nigel Williamson, Songlines

"Thank you for doing the promotion of Senegal" - Youssou Ndour

"Ben Aylon returning the respect he has received back to the source" - Derek Rath, Afropop

"We like what you are doing, it is just crazy..." - Bijou, Yeewuleen, Senegal

Stream Xalam

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Album Liner Notes & Story

Released May 28th, 2021
World Music Network, Riverboat Records

In January 2020, drummer virtuoso Ben Aylon gained national recognition in Senegal after being featured on popular Senegalese TV shows and performing his mesmerizing solo gigs around the country’s capital Dakar. His widespread popularity has brought him together with the legendary Youssou N’Dour and enabled his many musical collaborations with artists including Cheikh Lô, Omar Pene, Awadi and Doudou Ndiaye Rose.

Born in the city of Herzliya in Israel, Ben has been traveling to West Africa since 2008, researching Senegalese sabar drumming, as well as collaborating with local musicians and performing his drum solo project - One Man Tribe. For several years he studied with Aly Ndiaye Rose, son of the great Doudou Ndiaye Rose, the recognized modern master of Senegal’s traditional drum, the sabar. During this time, Ben developed his signature hybrid drumming technique which consists of playing a set of ten different African drums simultaneously, creating a massive sound like a tribe of drummers. This revolutionary approach to the family’s drumming style duly gained the respect of Doudou Ndiaye Rose, whom he met in 2013 when the first recording on this album took place. The spellbinding opening track ‘Xalam’ was recorded at the studio of popular Dakar rapper Didier Awadi, and sees Ben perform with Doudou Ndiaye Rose, alongside additional drumming accompaniment by Doudou’s sons.

The xalam (pronounced khalam) is one of the oldest string instruments of West Africa with its origins in the region of the old Malian empire. The sound of the phrase “xalam” is identical to the route of the word “dream” in the Hebrew language (ח.ל.מ) and provides a fitting title for the album, as Ben showcases his xalam/djeli ngoni playing to beautiful effect on these tracks. Inspired by the great ngoni player Bassekou Kouyate, Ben has harnessed the creative potential of the xalam to create a melodic as well as percussive soundtrack for his travels on this album.
Two of the tracks ’Alafia’ and ‘Jonibenina’ feature the captivating vocals of two of Mali’s most renowned female singers, Amy Sacko, and the late, great Khaira Arby. It was whilst touring Europe that Ben recorded these tracks in improvised hotel room settings, using lamps as microphone stands and the beds and sheets for acoustic control. The recording with Khaira Arby took place in Worms, Germany in the summer of 2015, and in the words of Ben, “her rough, one-of-a-kind voice shook the walls of the historic building on which the hotel was built.” Two years later he recorded Amy Sacko at the foot of the Rock of Gibraltar while viewing Morocco’s mountains on the horizon. Both sessions were organized and made possible by Norbert Hausen, Bassekou Kouyate’s manager.

Completing the trio of songs which feature wonderful female vocalists, Ben recorded the track ‘Hulem Belibe’ in 2018 with Aveva, a rising Israeli-Ethiopian singer. This heartfelt collaboration stretches a cord between West and East Africa, taking the listener on a trip through Ethiopia’s mountains to the Sahara Desert.

Many years in the making, Ben produced this album to reflect his musical vision and journey to date, always respecting tradition whilst at the same time innovating and elevating the music and instruments of Mali and Senegal into a fresh contemporary setting. Coming from Israel, a country with its own melting pot of traditions, Ben naturally developed a sense of how to absorb the essence of the different music styles he encountered. His intention for the album was that the listener “can experience the direct influences of rhythms from Senegal, Takamba (ceremonial music) from Gao, and warm analog effects, all filtered through a Middle Eastern temperament.”

Sadly, Doudou Ndiaye Rose and Khaira Arby have left us since the recordings, both passing away on Ben’s birth date of August 19th which Ben emotionally describes as ”a unique sign which puts the album’s whole creation under a spiritual light, giving the listeners unreleased music by these two musical legends.”

Liner notes by Neil Record and Ben Aylon.

Xalam Album Cover

Producer? Beatmaker?

Check out Ben Aylon's percussion samples & loops catalog with over 3000 creative percussion loops, beats, oneshots and sounds!

Browse Catalog
Ben Aylon's Sample Packs
ShakeHat

Shake Hat

Ben's signature sound is now available for percussionists, drummers and creative musicians. The Shake Hat is a unique handmade percussion instrument with an inspiringly crisp texture.

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