Sira is the diminutive form of 'Nasira', which was the name of Mamady's mother, for whom he composed this rhythm in her honour. She sadly died when he was aged ten, him being the last of seven children.
>120bpm 4/4 || 1 & 2 & | 3 & 4 & || Djembe 1 || B.OO.BS. | B.OO.BS. || r..lr.rl r..lr.rl Djembe 2 || S..SS.OO | S..SS.OO || Bell 1 xx.x || x.xx.xx. | x.x.xx.x || +Sangban G... || G.....g. | ..g.G... || +Sangban Var || G.....g. | g...GG.G || Bell 2 xx.x || x.x.x.x. | x.x.xx.x || +Kenkeni .K.K || ....k... | k....K.K || Bell 3 || x.xx.xxx | .xx.x.x. || +Dununba || ......DD | .DD..... || +Dununba Var1 || .D...D.. | D....... || +Dununba Var2 || D...D... | D...D... | D.....DD | .DD..... || +Echauffement DD|| .D.D.D.D | D.D.D.DD || Dununba's 1st and 2nd Variations return to normal pattern after just one variation. During the final Echauffement, the Dununba rumbles repeatedly underneath the lead Djembe's OOSSSSSSSSSSSSSS rolls. Djembe 2 is a widely-used traditional accompaniment that Mamady described as 'rhythm populaire', and dates from the 13th Century.
(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
beginners' djembe workshop in High Wycombe, England on
Sunday
2008-05-25.
(notated by
Malcolm Smith)