Sinte

The dance for this begins and ends with dancers putting down their calabashes balanced on their heads.

110bpm 4/4  ||:1 & 2 &  | 3 & 4 &  | 1 & 2 &  | 3 & 4 & :||
               rl lr r    r  lr r    rl lr r    r rlrlr
Djembe 1    || OO.SB.S. | B..SB.S. | OO.SB.S. | B.SSOOS. ||
Djembe 2    || S..SS.OO | S..SS.OO ||   ("Fly away, Kuku!")
Bell 1      || x.xx.xx. | x.xx.xx. ||   ("Have some apricots")
+Kenkeni    || ..KK..k. | ..KK..k. ||
Bell 2      || x.x.x.x. | x.x.x.x. ||
+Sangban    || ....G.G. | G...G.G. ||   ("Three four five, seven eight")
Bell 3      || xx.xx.x. | x.x.x.x. | xx.xx.x. | x.xx.xx. ||
+Dununba    || DD...... | ........ | DD...... | ..DD.DD. ||

Djembe 1 can be remembered as:
 "Who wants to play this beat called Sinte?
  Who wants to play this beat - are you keeping up?"

The Dununba is the same part as Sofa: ("Sofa. Sofa - don't bounce on my")


Intro: (all Dun duns in unison with Djembe after the first line)

Count       || 1 & 2 &  | 3 & 4 &  ||
Signal      || OO.OO.s. | SS.SS..B ||

Djembes   B || SS.SS.OO | SS.SS..B || +
Djembes     || S.S.S..B | S.S.S..B || +
Djembes     || OO.BSS.B | OO.BSS.B || +
Djembes     || OO..Z... | Z...Z... ||

Bells       || ........ | ........ || +
Bells       || x.x.x... | x.x.x... || +
Bells       || xx..xx.. | xx..xx.. || +
Bells       || xx..x... | x...x... ||

Kenkeni     || ........ | ........ || +
Kenkeni     || K.K.K... | K.K.K... || +
Kenkeni     || KK..KK.. | KK..KK.. || +
Kenkeni     || KK..k... | k...k... ||

Sangban     || ........ | ........ || +
Sangban     || G.G.G... | G.G.G... || +
Sangban     || GG..GG.. | GG..GG.. || +
Sangban     || GG..g... | g...g... ||

Dununba     || ........ | ........ || +
Dununba     || D.D.D... | D.D.D... || +
Dununba     || DD..DD.. | DD..DD.. || +
Dununba     || DD..d... | d...d... ||


The Signal  || OO.OO.s. | SS.SS..B || is different from the usual call.
While the dancers are dancing, Djembes and Dun Dun players should keep
playing through the Signals which are only to change dance steps. Only
after the final Echauffement should the drummers change to the Ending,
which is the same as the Intro.

Key to notation

(c) Traditional Guinean rhythm from Mamady Keita, taught by Emma Nelson at BeatDanceCamp on 2008-10-04.
(notated by Malcolm Smith on 2008-10-20)