>120bpm 4/4 1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-
Shekere x.xxx.xxx.xxx.xx
Djembe 1 B..OO...B...OOOO + ("African drums, playing in the
O..OO...B...O... sun, it's hot - so hot!")
Djembe 2 B.OOB.SSB.OOB.SS ("Woodpecker, woodpecker...")
Bell 1 x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.
+Sangban g...G...g...G...
Bell 2 ..xx..xx..xx..xx (tricky)
Bell 2 Alt X...X...X...X... (easy)
+Kenkeni ..KK..KK..KK..KK ("Woodpecker, woodpecker...")
Bell 3 x.xx.xx.x.xx.xx.
Bell 3 Alt x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x. (if it gets really fast)
+Dununba D.......D.D.....
The Kenkeni part fits with Djembe 2.
If players are few, the Sangban and Dununba can be combined:
Bell 1+3 x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.
+Sangban ....G.......G...
+Dununba D.......D.D.....
Baba Kone's alternative/additional Sangban part:
Bell 4 x.xxx.xxx.xxx.xx (RSI-inducing!) or
Bell 4 Alt x.xx.xx.x.x.x.x. (if it gets faster) or
Bell 4 Alt x..x..x.x.x.x.x. (if it gets really fast)
+Sangban 2 g..g..G...G.G... (like a 3:2 clave rhythm)
We usually play Baba's Sangban 2 on a low pitched one, or even a low dununba.
Break 1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-
Signal: s.OO.O.OO.SSS... +
Bells x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x. (Bells continue right through Break)
Djembes s.s.........s.s. + (plus Kenkenis in unison)
................ +
s.s.........s.s. +
................
Kenkeni K.K.........K.K.
................
K.K.........K.K.
................
3 3
If the leader plays a little twiddle (OOOS.OOOS...) at the end of the Break,
then that means we return to the Main Rhythm. If there is no twiddle, then
we sing the song instead, with just (Shekere and) Dun Duns and Bells playing
more quietly to avoid drowning out the singing.
This fine song, sung by the leader, has the group (+audience) coming in on
certain words:
"IYA" features two handclaps (one on each syllable), and
"Wa wan go, Siko lie eeko" has everyone singing along in harmony, as a
call and response (group first).
Here's the song with the leader's part in lower case, and the group's
responses in CAPITALS:
lie lie eeko
korobay
korobay
korobay
mami watalay
IYA!
siko leh leh eeko
IYA!
siko lie eeko
siko lie eeko
WA WAN GO
SIKO LIE EEKO
wa wan go
siko lie eeko
WA WAN GO
SIKO LIE EEKO
wa wan go
siko lie eeko
[Spellings are guessed phonetic approximations]
The song generally speeds up on the second time around, with the group
adding clapping in time with Bell 2, persuading the audience to join in.
A Signal leads us back into the Break, before returning to the Main Rhythm.
The piece ends with one last half of a Break, accenting the last two notes:
Break 1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-
Signal: s.OO.O.OO.SSS... +
Djembes s.s.........s.s.
Bells x.x.x.x.x.x.X.X.
Kenkeni K.K.........K.K.
> >
An extra mini-break is played by everyone in unison any time the leader
calls this Signal:
Break 1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&- | 1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-
Signal: s..OO.s.....OOOO | OO.OO...s.s.s...
Djembes s.s.s...
Bells X.X.X...
Dun Duns D.D.D...
* > > >
So everyone stops their parts here * and plays together on "3 & 4"
before returning to their respective rhythms for the next bar.
The Signal can be remembered as:
"Lis-ten to me...! Now I'm gonna signal the break... BLAM BLAM BLAM"
There is also a long Introduction (not notated here yet).
(c)
Traditional Guinean rhythm from
Mamady Keita, taught by
Justine at
Vitae Drum Circle and
Baba Kone
at Hebden Bridge.
(notated by
Malcolm Smith on
2005-08-31/2005-12-14/song added 2006-08-05/mini-break added 2009-07-17
- under construction)