Kedju

An advanced rhythm - not for the faint-hearted! It accompanies the lovely song called Kedjula Kanin. Kenkeni should start here ($) on beat 3 to introduce Dununba, but see below.

120bpm 12/8 || 1&a2&a3&a4&a | 1&a2&a3&a4&a ||
                     $
Bell 1      || xx.xx.xx.xx. | xx.xx.xx.xx. ||
+Kenkeni    || k..k..KK.k.. | k..k..KK.k.. ||

Bell 2      || x.x.x.xx.x.x | x.x.xx.x.x.x ||
+Sangban    || G...G....... | ............ || +
+Sangban    || G...G....... | ............ || +
+Sangban    || G...G..G...G | ..G..G...G.. || +
+Sangban    || G...G....... | ............ ||

Bell 3 (=2) || x.x.x.xx.x.x | x.x.xx.x.x.x ||
+Dununba  D || ..D......... | ...........D || +
+Dununba    || ..D......... | ...........D || +
+Dununba    || ..D...D..D.. | D...D..D...D || +
+Dununba    || ..D......... | ...........D ||

               r rl  r rl
Djembe 1    || S.OS..S.OS.. ||   ("Round the back")
               r.rlrlr.rlrl
Djembe 2    || S.SSOOS.SSOO ||   ("Eat your breakfast up")


Intro: (played four times, with slight changes)

Count       || 1&a2&a3&a4&a | 1&a2&a3&a4&a ||
Djembes   B || s.B.s....... | ...........B || +
Djembes   B || s.B.s....... | ...........B || +
Djembes   B || s.B.s.Bs.B.s | B.s.Bs.B.s.B || +
Djembes   B || s.B.s....... | ....OOOO...B || +   OOOO with DDDD
2nd time:
Djembes   B || s.B.s....... | ....SSSS...B || +   SSSS with GGGG
Djembes   B || s.B.s....... | ....OOOO...B || +   OOOO with DDDD
Djembes   B || s.B.s.Bs.B.s | B.s.Bs.B.s.B || +
Djembes   B || s.B.s....... | ...........B || +
3rd time:
Djembes   B || s.B.s....... | ...........B || +
Djembes   B || s.B.s....... | ...........B || +
Djembes   B || s.B.s.Bs.B.s | B.s.Bs.B.s.B || +
Djembes   B || s.B.s....... | ....OOOO...B || +   OOOO with DDDD
4th time:
Djembes   B || s.B.s....... | ....SSSS...B || +   SSSS with GGGG
Djembes   B || s.B.s....... | ....OOOO...B || +   OOOO with DDDD
Djembes   B || s.B.s.Bs.B.s | B.s.Bs.B.s.B || +             _3_
Djembes   B || s.B.s.ss.... | Z.O...O3O... ||   where O3O = OOOO
Bells       || x.x.x.xx.x.x | x.x.xx.x.x.x ||
Sangban     || G...G....... | ............ ||
Dununba   D || ..D...DD.... | ...........D ||
Kenkeni     || k..k..KK.k.. | k..k..KK.k.. ||

Every other time round the Intro, the Dununba/Sangban plays
DDDD/GGGG in unison with the Djembes' OOOO/SSSS.


And here's another variation from Seckou Keita:

Bell 3 (=2) || x.x.x.xx.x.x | x.x.xx.x.x.x ||
+Dununba  D || ..D......... | ...........D || +
+Dununba    || ..D......... | ....DDDD...D || +
+Dununba    || ..D...D..D.. | D...D..D...D || +
+Dunun Var  || ..D........D | D-D-D-D-D-D-D-.D || +   see below
+Dununba    || ..D......... | ...........D || +   Here the Sangban plays
+Dunun Var  || ..D........D | ..D..D..D..D || +           /
+Dununba    || ..D...D..D.. | D...D..D...D || +          /
+Dununba    || ..D......... | ...........D ||           /
                                                       /
Bell 2      || x.x.x.xx.x.x | x.x.xx.x.x.x ||         /
Sangban Var || G...G......G | G.G..G.G.G.. || +   <--'

Here's that 4th line written out fully and spread over two lines:
               1--2--3--4--5--6--1--2--3--4--5--6--
+Duns Var   || G  .  D  .  G  .  .  .  .  .  .  D   || +
               _________6:8_________
            || D - D - D - D - D - D - D  .  .  D   ||
               1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&-5-&-6-&-3--4--5--6--

Written together:
Bell 3 (=2) || x.x.x.xx.x.x | x.x.xx.x.x.x ||
+Duns     D || G.D.G....... | ....GGGG...D || +
+Duns       || G.D.G....... | ....DDDD...D || +
+Duns       || G.D.G.DG.D.G | D.G.DG.D.G.D || +
+Duns Var   || G.D.G......D | D-D-D-D-D-D-D-.D || +   see above
+Duns Var   || G.D.G......G | G.G..G.G.G.D || +
+Duns Var   || G.D.G......D | ..D..D..D..D || +
+Duns       || G.D.G.DG.D.G | D.G.DG.D.G.D || +
+Duns       || G.D.G....... | ...........D ||



Another nice variation, also from Seckou Keita:

+Dunun Var  || ..D.......DD | DDDDDDDDDD.D || +



Check how the Djembes copy the Dununba and Sangban:

Dun Duns  D || G.D.G.DG.D.G | D.G.DG.D.G.D ||
Djembes   B || s.B.s.Bs.B.s | B.s.Bs.B.s.B ||

The more astute student will notice that the second bar is an
exact mirror image of the first about the central barline, but
with basses swapped for flammed slaps. Here are some other ways
of writing this break, without barlines:

Bs.B.s.Bs.B.s
 B.s.Bs.B.s.Bs.B.s

Bs.B.s.Bs.B.s
   B.s.Bs.B.s.
Bs.B.s

Bs.B.s.
Bs.B.s
B.s.Bs.
B.s.Bs.
B.s

Godel, Escher, Bach, Keita...


Song

The song is sung in call and response. The lyrics mean "I don't like the friendship of an ugly girl."

  Kedjula kanin sunguru
  Kedjula kanin mandinye

Structure of rhythm

  1. Song
  2. Dun Duns once through alone (Kenkeni starts first, then Dununba+Sangban enter)
  3. Dun Duns once more, adding GGGG
  4. Dun Duns with Djembe Intro (without GGGG)
  5. Dun Duns with Djembe Intro plus GGGG
  6. Dun Duns with Djembe Intro (without GGGG)
  7. Dun Duns with Djembe Intro plus GGGG, ending with Djembe flourish
  8. Main Rhythms
  9. Signal is called in the third bar, signifying the last time round the long third line
  10. Our arrangement segues straight into the song and rhythm of Soko (just Dununba)

Mamady taught it with the kenkeni beginning on beat 3 as indicated above, but we find this too offputting and difficult to hear the downbeat properly, so we just start from beat 1.


Solos

Mamady puts some nice solo phrases over the pattern. This one occurs at 5'15":

Count       || 1&a2&a3&a4&a | 1&a2&a3&a4&a ||
Djembe      || s.OO.....s.O | O...s.OO.s.s | +
Djembe      || .........s.O | O...s.OO.s.s ||

And here at 7'52" (written double-spaced) - notice how beat 2 comes on the last O, not the final slap. This is highly mesmeric!

Count       || 1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a  ||
Djembe      || S S OOO S . S S OOO S .  ||
               r l rlr l   r l rlr l

Key to notation

(c) New African drum rhythm composed (in neo-traditional Guinean style) in 2007 by Mamady Keita as part of his "Evolution Of The Djembe", taught at his advanced djembe workshop in High Wycombe, England on Sunday 2008-05-25, and featured on his CD "Mandeng Djara".
(notated by Malcolm Smith during the class - song added 2008-11-20)