Balakulajan

Introduction:

120bpm 4/4  1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-
Signal      o.OO.O.OO.S.S.OO
                                          ___8:6__
12/8 feel | 1&-2&-3&-4&- | 1&-2&-3&-4&- | 1-&-2-&-3&-4&- | 1&-2&-3&-4&- |
Djembe OO | O..Z..SSSSSS | S..SSSS..SSS | S..OOO..SSSSSS | S........... |
All Duns  |.......KKKKKK | K..KKKK..KKK | K..GGG..KKKKKK | D.....DD.DD. |

"Come to Beat Camp!
 This is the beat that we learned
 Sat in the shade
 By the big barn
 (tricky bit)
 This is the beat that we learned."

120bpm 4/4  1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-
Signal      o.OO.O.OO.S.S...


Main Rhythms:
            
120bpm 4/4  1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-
Djembe 1    B.OO..S.B.OO..S.
Djembe 2    S..SS.OOS..SS.OO
Bell 1      x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.
+Kenkeni    KK......KK......   ("Dig it! Dig it!")
Bell 1      x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.
+Sangban    ..........G.G.G.   ("1 2 3 4 5 Six Seven Eight")
Bell 3      x.x.x.x.x.xx.xx. | x.x.x.x.x.xx.xx.
+Dununba    ......D.D.DD.DD. | ..........DD.DD.
    ("1 2 3 Play Balakulajan - 1 2 3 4 5 The cooler jam!")

Accompaniment:

120bpm 4/4  1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-
Signal      o.OO.O.OO.S.S...
Djembe      B.OO.SS.S.OO.SS. +   Bass starts first time
Djembe      S.OO.SS.S.OO.SS.     Slap starts thereafter
Djembe      S.OO.SS.S.OO.S..     Last time, then goes into Solo


Solo Intro: (Duns and some Djembes keep going with Main Rhythms)
Signal      o.OO.O.OO.S.S...
Djembe      OOSOOS.S..B.B... +   ("Are you in the mood right now? Yes! Yes!")
Djembe      OOSOOS.S..B.B... +
Djembe      OOSOOS.SOOSOOS.S +
Djembe      OOSOOS.S..SSOOSS

1st solo:   r rl lrlr rlrlrl     Very swung feel
Signal      o.OO.O.OO.SSOOSS
Djembe      B.OO.BSSB.SSOOSS +   ("Play 2 tones, and then 2 slaps; this is difficult to")
Djembe      B.OO.BSSBOSSOOSS     Alternates

(At this point most Djembes return to the Main Rhythms,
 just leaving experts to play the rest of the Solo...)

2nd solo:   rl lr r rlrlr r
Signal      o.OO.O.OO.S.S...           _6__
Djembe      BS.BS.S.BSBBS.S. | B...B...S3S3S...

3rd solo:
Signal      o.OO.O.OO.S.S...
Djembe      O..Os.s.B..Os.s. +
Djembe      O..Os.s.OOS o.s.
                    -3--
4th solo:
Signal      o.OO.O.OO.S.S..B           _3_
Djembe  B | SS.O.S.O.OS.OOs. | B...B...SsSSS..B

4th solo: (rewritten spaced out)
120bpm 4/4  1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - 
Signal      o . O O . O . O O . S . S . . B
Djembe      S S . O . S . O . O S . O O s . +
                            _3_
Djembe      B . . . B . . . SSS S S S . . B

5th solo:
Signal      o.OO.O.OO.S.S..B
Djembe  B | SS.BSS.BSS.BSSoo | OO..B...B...ss.B   2 flam slaps at the end

5th solo: (rewritten spaced out)
120bpm 4/4  1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - 
Signal      o . O O . O . O O . S . S . . B  
Djembe      S S . B S S . B S S . B S S OOOO +    4 fast open tones here
Djembe      O O . . B . . . B . . . s s . B       2 flam slaps at the end

6th solo:
120bpm 4/4  1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&- | 1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-
Signal      o.OO.O.OO.S.S...
Djembe      oOSoOSS.BssSS... | B...B...sSSSS...

6th solo: (rewritten spaced out)
120bpm 4/4  1 - & - 2 - & - 3 - & - 4 - & - 
Signal      o . O O . O . O O . S . S . . . 
            lrl r lrl r l   r lrlrl r
Djembe      OOO S OOO S S . B SSSSS S . . . +
Djembe      B . . . B . . . SSS S S S . . . 
            r       r       lrl r l r

7th solo:
120bpm 4/4  1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&- | 1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-
Signal      o.OO.O.OO.S.O.OS
Djembe      ...S..SBO.OS..S. | OO.S..S...SBO.OS +
                  >                  >

Finale:
120bpm 4/4  1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&- | 1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-
Dun Duns    D..D..D.D..D..D.
Djembe      OOSSSSSSSSSSSSSS +                        Echeuffement
Djembe      OOSSSSSSSSSSSSSS +
Djembe      OOSSSSSSSSSSSSSS +
Djembe      OOSSOOSSOOSSOOSS +
            _6_ _6_ _6_ _6_  | _6_ _6_ _6__>
Djembe      S3S3S3S3S3S3S3S3 | S3S3S3S3S3S3S... +

The roll might continue for more bars than this, but always ends on beat 4.
The roll leads straight into the ending:
                                                  >
Djembe      S..SS.S..SS.S..S | S.SS.SS..SS.S.s. | B   Finish!
Dun Duns    D..DD.D..DD.D..D | D.DD.DD..DD.D.K. | D

"Stop!
 It's the end,
 so don't play
 the rhythm any more.
 It's the end,
 RIGHT NOW!"


Structure:

Signal ---> Introduction (all in unison)
Signal ---> Dun Dun+Kenkeni+Sangban+Djembe 1+Djembe 2+Accompaniment
Signal ---> Solos leading eventually into Finale

Key to notation

(c) Traditional Guinean rhythm taught by Nansady Keita on 2007-08-03 at African Drum Village in Scotland.
(notated by Malcolm Smith on 2007-09-14 and later taught at Beat Camp #1 on 2007-09-16)
(notation later refined and completed on 2010-07-18)