Kuku

130bpm 4/4  1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-

Djembe 1    B.OO..S.B.OO..S.   ("Bi-cycle, ride  Bi-cycle, ride")
Djembe 2    S..SS.OOS..SS.OO   ("Fly away, Kuku! Fly away, Kuku!")
Djembe 3    OO.SOOS.OO.SOOS.   ("Ketchup and sausages, Ketchup and sausages")
Djembe 4    o.OO.BS.B.OO.BS.   ("Most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational" ;-)
Bell 1      x.xx.xx.x.xx.xx.   ("Most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational" ;-)
+Sangban    G..g..G.G..g..G.   ("true love. My true love. My")
Bell 2      x.xx.xx.x.x.x.x.x.xx.xx.x.x.x.x.
+Dununba    ...D........D.D.D..D............
Bell 3      Xx..Xx..Xx..Xx..
+Kenkeni    KK..KK..KK..KK..

Djembe 5    SSSS.BOOB.SS.BOO + ("Get on your bike, and ride your bicycle, and ride your")
            B.SS.BOOB.SS.BS.   ("bicycle, and ride your bicycle, go on!")

Djembe 8    OO.BS.B.S..BS.B. +
            OO.BS.B.S.OOSSS.

Mamady Keita's Djembe 3: (instead of "Rythme Populaire", Part 2 above)
            f rlrlr f rlrlr
Djembe 3    b.OOBSS.b.OOBSS.
(where b=Bass+Tone flam, with Bass on left hand and Tone on right)


Alternatively, the Dununba player could double the Sangban part on a second Kenkeni:
                          * *                  *(play D where G clashes)
Bell 2      x.xx.xx.x.x.x.x.x.xx.xx.x.x.x.x.   ("Have some apricots 1 2 3 4 Have some apricots 1 2 3 4")
+Sangban    G.....G.G.....G.G.....G.G.....G.   ("true      exists,                   exists. My")
+Dununba    ...D........D.D.D..D............          love         yes: My true love
=
Bell 2      x.xx.xx.x.x.x.x.x.xx.xx.x.x.x.x.
Dun+Sangban G..D..G.G...D.D.D..D..G.G.....G.


Anthony's alternate 2nd Dun Dun part for 2 drums:
Bell 2      x.xx.xx.x.xx.xx.x.xx.xx.x.xx.xx.   ("Have some apricots"/"Most sensational," etc.)
+Kenkeni    ......K.......K.....K.K.......K.
+Sangban    G....G..G....G..G.G..........G..


The new way we now play it is to start with the Signal and Break (below),
then go into the Main Rhythm above.
Then after the next Signal, go back round the Break again, and
then into a Song "Ay yah, Ay yah yeh, Genube nasa" (below) with no drums, just Bells.
We sing the song twice through, with Djembe players picking up Shakers in the second time around only.
They continue shaking as just the Dun Duns come back playing a Solo based on their rhythms.
Gradually one at a time, the Djembes enter in a Mexican Wave format, each one waiting
until their neighbour has played one bar (two lots of "Ride bicycle") before joining.
Once everyone is back on Djembe part 1, the leader goes into part 5 and whoever can hold it joins them.
The Signal cues another Break and then brings us back into the Main Rhythm one last time,
then the final Signal takes us to the last Break, which ends the piece.

STRUCTURE:
Signal, Break, Signal, Main Rhythm,
Signal, Break, Song, Dun Duns Solo, Djembe 5,
Signal, Break, Signal, Main Rhythm,
Signal, Break

Signal:     o.OO.O.OO.SSS...
Break:                    K. + (Djembes play in unison, substituting K=O and D=B)
Kenkeni     K.....K.K.....K. +
+Dununba    K.....K.K..D..K. +
            K...D.D.D..D..K. +
Signal:     o.OO.O.OO.SSS...
Break:                    K. +
Djembe                    O. + (This time the djembes play a different part...)
            O.S.S.O.O..S.SO. +
            O.S.S.O.O.....O. +
            O......BB.BB..O.
            O.S.S.O.O..S.SO. +
            O.S.S.O.O.....O. +
            O......BB.BB..B. + (Bass part:"Well actually, she")
            B.BB...BB.BB.BB. + ("slept with me; and then she slept with my")
            B                  ("friend!" ;-)
Kenkeni     K.....K.K.....K. + (...while the Kenkeni does similar)
+Dununba    K.....K.K.....K. +
            K......DD.DD..K. +
            K.....K.K.....K. +
            K.....K.K.....K. +
            K......DD.DD..D. +
            D.DD...DD.DD.DD. +
            D
Signal:     o.OO.O.OO.SSS...    (...and then back to Main Rhythm.)

[I think this Break should be credited to Daniel Lonton/Lenton.]


Song:
"Ay yah, Ay yah yeh, Genube nasa"            [Sung three times]
"Ay yah, oh-oh, Ay yah yeh, Genube nasa"
 "Genube nasa, yeh, Genube nasa"



Jean-Marie Keita's different Dun Dun pattern, learned in Senegal 2006-01-15:

Bell 1      x...x.x.x...x.x.x...x.x.x...x.x.
+Sangban    G...G.G.G...G.G.G...G.G.G...G.G.
Bell 2      x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.
+Kenkeni    K.....K.K.....K.......K.K.....K.
+Dununba    ............D...D...............

On the third of every fourth repeat, the Dun Dun player does this:

Bell 2      x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.
+Kenkeni    K.....................K.K.....K.
+Dununba    ...D..D..D..D.D.D..D............



A different version of Kuku notated by IanG in 199?

130bpm 4/4  1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-

Signal      S.SS.S.SS.S.B.B.
Section A   B.OO..S...OOB.B.
Signal      S.SS.S.SS.S.S...
Section B   SSSS.BOOB.OO.BO.



Another variation of Kuku that Tina taught me on 2004-05-19

130bpm 4/4  1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-

Djembe 1    B...B...B..O.OO.
Djembe 2    B.OO..S.B.OO..S.
Djembe 3    ..OOO.SSS.OOO.S.
(or Djembe 3 might be:
            OOO.SSS.OOO.S...)

Key to notation

(c) Traditional Guinean rhythm from Mamady Keita, taught by Justine on 2006-07-26 at Vitae Drum Circle.
"My true love exists" words by Estelle, taught to me by Sue from Manding Kaira
"Get on your bike, and ride..." words based on "Sing me a song about a bicycle" by Ian Gregory
(notated by Ian Gregory and Malcolm Smith on 2005-10-30)
(Justine's version, first notated on 2005-05-25)
(Dun Duns added on 2005-08-06)
(Break notated on 2005-10-31)
(Djembe 4 added on 2006-06-19)
(Djembe 5 added on 2006-11-23)
(Djembe 8 added on 2007-07-09, and corrected on 2007-07-11 - very similar to Sinte's Djembe 1!)
(2nd Dun Dun added on 2006-11-23)
(Song lyrics added on 2006-11-23)
(Song structure revised on 2008-03-22)
(Mamady Keita's Djembe 3 added, and corrected Sangban instead of Kenkeni on 2008-10-20)