This rhythm accompanies the song called "Nyewa Kodo". The name Dunun Kura means "New Dunun", and is Mamady's addition to the "Dununba" ("Dance Of The Strong Men") rhythms, and hence has the same traditional Djembe and Kenkeni parts.
120bpm 18/8 ||:1&a2&a 3&a4&a 5&a6&a:||
r rl r rl r rl
Djembe 1 || S.OS.. | S.OS.. | S.OS.. ||
r lrl r lrl r lrl
Djembe 2 || S..SOO | S..SOO | S..SOO ||
Bell 1 || .xx.xx | .xx.xx | .xx.xx ||
+Kenkeni || ..K.KK | ..K.KK | ..K.KK ||
120bpm 18/8 ||:1&a2&a3&a | 4&a5&a6&a | 1&a2&a3&a | 4&a5&a6&a:||
Bell 2 || x.x.xx.x. | x.x.xx.x. | x.x.xx.xx | .xx.xx.xx ||
+Sangban || G.G..G... | G....G... | G.G...g.. | g..g..g.. ||
Bell 3 || x.x.xx.x. | x.x.xx.x. | x.x.xx.xx | .xx.xx.xx ||
+Dununba || ....D..D. | ..D.D..D. | ......... | ......... ||
The Kenkeni+Bell 1 part looks deceptively easy but requires practice!
The Sangban and Dununba parts are easier to understand by counting
four groups of three rather than six groups of two like Djembe/Kenkeni:
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
1&a2&a3&a4&a5&a6&a1&a2&a3&a4&a5&a6&a
x.x.xx.x.x.x.xx.x.x.x.xx.xx.xx.xx.xx
G.G.DG.D.G.D.DG.D.G.G...g..g..g..g..
Best thought of like this:
1 2 3
G.G.DG.D.
G.D.DG.D.
G.G...g..
g..g..g..
It can be easier to learn them initially as one combined part, and then
separate them into Sangban and Dununba once you know the tune.
(c) New
African drum rhythm composed (in neo-traditional
Guinean style) in 2007 by
Mamady Keita
(featured on his album Mandeng Djara), taught by
Justine at
Vitae Drum Circle.
(notated by
Malcolm Smith on 2008-10-01)