SMALL ROOM IN DAKAR

As the title track of the album, “Small Room in Dakar” was composed over four years, evolving slowly with each of Ben Aylon’s returns to his small creative sanctuary in Dakar. Just a hundred meters from the ocean, this room became a place of reflection, solitude, and inspiration, where memories and experiences could surface with honesty and clarity in the shape of melodies.

The piece reflects the trust and patience needed for honest creation, where time, silence, and presence shape the music, and the artist becomes a vessel through which the creation flows.

It begins with the ancient tones of the xalam, a traditional Senegalese string instrument, setting a mysterious and quietly rhythmic energy that stirs a sense of movement. As the piece opens, warm harmonies and glowing chords rise like a sunrise, evoking joy, hope, and the quiet release of things no longer needed. Roei Hermon’s piano brings tenderness and light, guiding the music into emotional clarity.

“Small Room in Dakar” is a meditation on transformation - personal, emotional, and musical.