These two rhythms are generally played one after the other. There is another version of Lenje which Malo taught us in Senegal.
120bpm 4/4
This piece begins with a song, which looks far more complicated
written down than when it is sung!
[Pitches are here notated by note names with
CAPITAL letters meaning ascending or same pitch, and
lower case letters meaning descending pitches. _ means slur the pitch.
Dashes denote longer held notes, and dots are rests to breathe.]
Count: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Words: "Ay Ay al- la oh, Lim-ban-jito- ho"
Pitch: A - - - - - . . g - - f - - e - G - - - - - e - e - e d - d . .
That's all of the words; they are sung eight times in succession (Call
and Response), just varying the tune like this:
Pitch: A-----..g--f--e-G-----e-e-ed-d..
Pitch: A-----..g--f--e-c-----e-e-ed-d..
Pitch: A-------g--f--e-G-----e-e-ed-d..
Pitch: A-----..g--f--e-c-----e-e-ed-d..
Pitch: A-----..C--b--a-g-----e-e-ed-d..
Pitch: A-----..g--f--e-c-----e-e-ed-d..
Pitch: A-----..C--b--a-g-----e-e-ed-d..
Pitch: A-----..g--f--e-c-----e-e-ed-d..
So, lines 1 and 3 are identical,
and lines 5 and 7 are identical; lines 5+7 go higher in pitch in the middle.
All even-numbered lines are the same.
Lines 1 and 2 are identical apart from the "oh" being on high G or low c.
The crazy part of this song is that it is sung as a Call and Response:
Call: "Ay, ay alla oh,"
Response: "Limbanjitoho"
Call: "Ay, ay alla oh,"
Call: "Limbanjitoho"
Response: "Ay, ay alla oh,"
Call: "Limbanjitoho"
Response: "Ay, ay alla oh,"
Response: "Limbanjitoho"
Simplifying that structure gives ABAABABB (where A=Call and B=Response).
Drummers amongst you may recognise that as being the same form as a
paradiddle, an exercise for playing repeated notes with left and right
hands, i.e., rlrrlrll.
This structure then repeats to sing the higher pitched lines 5-8.
In a more compact condensed format (with the words not perfectly
aligned to the count), the whole song looks like this:
Words: "Ay, Ay alla oh, Limbanjitoho"
Pitch: A-------g--f--e-G-----e-e-ed-d..
Voice: Call Response
Words: "Ay, Ay alla oh, Limbanjitoho"
Pitch: A-----..g--f--e-c-----e-e-ed-d..
Voice: Call Call
Words: "Ay, Ay alla oh, Limbanjitoho"
Pitch: A-------g--f--e-G-----e-e-ed-d..
Voice: Response Call
Words: "Ay, Ay alla oh, Limbanjitoho"
Pitch: A-----..g--f--e-c-----e-e-ed-d..
Voice: Response Response
Words: "Ay, Ay alla oh, Limbanjitoho"
Pitch: A-----..C--b--a-g-----e-e-ed-d..
Voice: Call Response
Words: "Ay, Ay alla oh, Limbanjitoho"
Pitch: A-----..g--f--e-G-----e-e-ed-d..
Voice: Call Call
Words: "Ay, Ay alla oh, Limbanjitoho"
Pitch: A-----..C--b--a-g-----e-e-ed-d..
Voice: Response Call
Words: "Ay, Ay alla oh, Limbanjitoho"
Pitch: A-----..g--f--e-G-----e-e-ed-d..
Voice: Response Response
After the song, the players launch into the Break without a Signal.
120bpm 4/4 1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-
Djembe o.OO....o.OO....o.OO..B.B.BB.B.. (1st section, played twice)
Bell (easy) X.XX....X.XX....X.XX..X.X.XX.X..
Bell (best) X...X...X...X...X...X...X...X...
+Kenkeni K.KK....K.KK....K.KK............
+Dununba ......................D.D.DD.D..
Djembe o.OO.o.OO.o.OO..o.OO..B.B.BB.B.. (2nd section, played twice)
Bell (easy) X.XX.X.XX.X.XX..X.XX..X.X.XX.X..
Bell (best) X...X...X...X...X...X...X...X...
+Kenkeni K.KK.K.KK.K.KK..K.KK............
+Dununba ......................D.D.DD.D..
During the Break, it is best if at least one Dun Dun player can put a
straight 4/4 Bell across the rhythm to keep everyone in time, rather
than just playing Bell in unison with the drums.
Then we go into the Main Rhythm:
120bpm 4/4 1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-
rl lrlr
Djembe 1 SS.BSSO.SS.BSSO.SS.BSSO.SS.BSSO. ("Ketchup and sausages, ..."
Bell 1 X.X.X.X.XX.X.XX.X.X.X.X.X.XX.X..
+Kenkeni K.K.....KK......K.K.............
+Sangban ....G.G....G.GG.....G........... (optional, if available)
+Dununba ......................D.D.DD.D.. ("Limbanjitoho")
The Signal for the Break comes at the end of a phrase, with everyone
carrying on their patterns right up to the end of the bar.
Break (Call and response in 2 sections, each played twice)
1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-
Signal: S.SS..B.B.BB.B..
+Dununba D.D.DD.D..
We usually play the song in this overall structure:
- Song twice through
- Break
- Main Rhythm
- Break
- Main Rhythm
- Break
- Song once through
- Break
- Main Rhythm
- Break
- Then we move into Lenje...
After sufficient runs round the Break and Main Rhythm, a quick 6/8 Signal
calls to change into a new 6/8 rhythm called Lenje:
120bpm 6/8 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 -
or count: 1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a
Signal: SSS S S S . S S . S . .
120bpm 6/8 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 -
r r l r l r l r l r l > > > >
Djembe 1 B . B B O O B S S B O O ("Eat your vegetables, eat all your vegetables")
Djembe 2 S . S S O O S . S S O O ("Eat your vegetables! Eat your vegetables!")
r r l r l > > > >
Bell 1 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 D .
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 -
1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a 1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a
>
Signal: s . S . . S . S . S . . s . . . . . . . . . . .
*
At this * point after the Signal, everyone stops on the final slap
and counts "(1).., 2.., 3.., 4.." before returning to their rhythm
or stopping the whole piece altogether.
(c)
Traditional Guinean rhythm from
Mamady Keita, taught by
Justine at
Vitae Drum Circle.
(notated by
Malcolm Smith on 2005-10-30;
song notation added 2006-06-19)