Sidiki was due to teach us a traditional rhythm at his workshop at Nottingham Uni, but was so horrified at news reports of modern slavery in Libya that he composed this wonderful rhythm and song the day before instead, to spread the message that such things will not be tolerated. [This is a completely different song to Mamady Keita's composition called Horoya in his book Nankama.]
The song is sung in call and response. The lyrics mean "I am not a slave, we are all free men".
Ne te djonye mogolou An be horonye
The beautifully simple melody is echoed by the response alternating in the gap:
1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&. 1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&. B-D-b-C-b--g-eF- <<< Call ---------------- ----'.B-B--g-fe- ................ ---------------- Response >>> B-D-b-C-b--g-eF- ................ ----'.B-B--g-fe-
...where C=C# and D=D# and F=F# and G=G#, i.e. in E Major (the #'s don't fit easily in the notation).
Sometimes the leader would start higher, the response always the same:
1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&. 1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&. E-E-b-C-b--g-eF- <<< Call ---------------- ----'.B-B--g-fe- ................ ---------------- Response >>> B-D-b-C-b--g-eF- ................ ----'.B-B--g-fe-
120bpm 4/4 | 1...2...3...4... |
rlrl rlr rlr rl
Djembe 1 | OOSS..SSB.SSB.SS | ("Never be slaves, we will not,
we will not, we will [never...]")
r lr rlr lr rl
Djembe 2 | S..SS.OOS..SS.OO | ("Fly-- away, cuckoo" = Populaire)
rl r l rl
Djembe 3 | OO..B...B...OO.. | + ("We are all free, we are,
| OO..B...B...B... | we are all free men")
I made up those words to help you remember what the song is about.
There are two nicely interlocking traditional Kenkeni parts:
| 1...2... | 1...2... |
Kenkeni 1 | k.KK.xk. |: x.KK.xk. :| ("I am not a slave")
The first Kenkeni part starts with a press on the first time only, which is then played as a bell note thereafter. The second Kenkeni locks in with Djembes 1 and 3 (hence my words).
Kenkeni 2 | KK..KK.. | ("Never! Never")
Meanwhile, the Sangban and Dununba have a long dialogue, built up of the same phrases repeating. Here you can observe the elegantly simple structure:
| 1...2...3...4... |
Sangban | x.GG.x.GG.x.GG.x | + ("Slavery, slavery, slavery is | not
| g.xg.x.xg.g.x.x. | + a thing that we want in our world")
| x.GG.x.GG.x.GG.x | + (doubles again)
| g.xg.x.xg.g.x.x. | + (presses again)
| x.GG.x.GG.x.GG.x | + ("Slavery, slavery, slavery, 'cos")
| x.GG.x.GG.x.GG.x | + ("Slavery, slavery, slavery, 'cos")
| x.GG.x.GG.x.G.x. | + ("Slavery, slavery, IT SUCKS YEAH!")
| x.xx.x.xg.g.x.x. | ("Have a heart cos we are all human")
Var
Dun (DDD)D | D.xx.D.xx.D.xx.x | + ("'Cos slavery, slavery, slavery is")
| x.xx.x.xx.x.xx.D | + ("not a thing that we want in here!")
| D.xx.D.xx.D.xx.x | + (drums again)
| x.xx.x.xx.x.xx.D | + (bells again)
| D.xx.D.xx.D.xx.D | + (drums once) (same words as Sangban)
| D.xx.D.xx.D.xx.D | + (drums twice)
| D.xx.D.xx.D.x.D. | + (drums thrice, last note moves)
| x.xx.x.xx.x.xx.D | ("...'cos we are all brothers. 'Cos")
Note the Dununba Variation, beginning with an extra three hits making five in total! Sometimes this came before the start, sometimes before the fifth line. And sometimes Yahs played an Alternate bell on lines 2, 4 and 8, but this differs from the Sangban tune so is less simple:
Dun Alt 2nd | x.xx.xx.x.x.xx.D | ("just not fair to treat people
Dun Alt 4th | x.xx.xx.x.x.xx.D | badly. 'Cos")
Dun Alt 8th | x.xx.xx.x.x.xx.D | ("Have some dignity - are you real?")
Here are the Dununba and Sangban combined ballet style, along with my words to help you learn and remember the tune:
D | D . G G . D . G G . D . G G . x | +
| g . x g . x . x g . g . x x . D | +
("'Cos slavery, slavery, slavery is
not a thing that we want in here! 'Cos")
| D . G G . D . G G . D . G G . x | +
| g . x g . x . x g . g . x . x D | +
("slavery, slavery, slavery is
not a thing that we want in here! 'Cos")
| D . G G . D . G G . D . G G . D | +
("slavery, slavery, slavery, 'Cos")
| D . G G . D . G G . D . G G . D | +
("slavery, slavery, slavery, 'Cos")
> > >
| D . G G . D . G G . D . G . D . | +
("slavery, slavery, IT SUCKS YEAH!")
OR: ("slavery, slavery, IS NOT FAIR!")
| x . x x . x . x g . g . D D D D | (Dun Variation at end)
("Have a heart 'cos we are all brothers, yes 'cos")
Enjoy playing the three accented notes on that penultimate line! You can choose whatever words you prefer, but I feel the first option gives it the right sense of gravitas :)
120bpm 4/4 | 1...2...3...4... |
f lr f lr f lr (Sidiki played this handing)
F rl F rl F rl (or you could play other way round)
Signal | s.OO.s.OO.s.OO.. |
l r rl l lr rlrlrl
Djembes B | O.SS.O.SS.OSOOSB | + ("O set me free x2 I am not a slave")
play | O.SS.O.SS.OSOOS. | + (first bit is played twice)
in | Z...Z...Z...Z..B | + (then 4 traps)
unison | O.SS.O.SS.OSOOSB | + (then again twice without traps)
with | O.SS.O.SS.OSOOSB | +
the
Duns | D.GG.D.GG.DGGDG. | + (written separately for easy reading)
in | D.GG.D.GG.DGGDG. | +
this | k.x.k.x.k.x.k.x. | +
first | D.GG.D.GG.DGGDG. | +
section | D.GG.D.GG.DGGDG. | +
r lr lr l lr lr (Sidiki used hand to hand technique)
Djembes | S.SO.OS.S..BS.SO | ("The people must be set free" x2)
>
Duns | D | + (1st time duns go after last slap)
@ (@ = Outro ends here)
lr l r r l
Djembes | .OS.S...Z...Z..B |
>
Duns | D k k | + (2nd time duns go on last slap)
r rl lr r lr rl (or you could do next hand technique)
Djembes | S.SO.OS.S..BS.SO | (the phrase repeats)
>
Duns | D | + (1st time duns go after last slap)
lr r r r
Djembes | .OS.S...Z...Z... |
>
Duns | D k k | + (2nd time duns go on last slap)
120bpm 3/4 | 1...2...3... | (change up a gear into 3/4 timing)
lr lr rlr (Sidiki used this weird handing)
Djembes | OS.OS.OOS... | ("Do it, do it, do it now!")
Duns | D D | +
rl rl rlr (I'd have used this handing)
Djembes | OS.OS.OOS... | (same phrase three times)
Duns | D D | +
Djembes | OS.OS.OOS... |
Duns | D D | +
120bpm 4/4 | 1...2...3...4... |
Signal | s.OO.s.OO.s.OO.. | (then off into the Main Rhythm...)
Each Solo verse lasts for eight bars, the same length as the Dununba+Sangban dialogue, and goes loopy at the same point as they do. The first two verses of the solo are identical, then the third ends with a mock echauffement before the real one :)
120bpm 4/4 | 1...2...3...4... |
Signal | s.OO.s.OO.s.OO.. |
2rlr r r rl f
Djembe Solo | sSSS.O.S.OO.s... | + (first s=double slap, not flam)
| B...B...B...B... | +
r l r l
| sSSS.O.S.OO.s... | + (same again)
| B...B...B...B... | +
2rlr r r rl lr r (notice the handing)
| sSSS.O.S.OO.SS.O | + (third time goes loopy)
l lr r r rl lr r (best to keep your left hand
| O.SS.O.S.OO.SS.O | + in the air when not in use)
l lr r r rl f r
| O.SS.O.S.OO.s.B. | + (flam+bass matches duns = genius :)
| B...B...B...B... | +
l r l r (hands are now opposite)
2nd time | sSSS.O.S.OO.s... | +
= identical | B...B...B...B... | +
| sSSS.O.S.OO.s... | +
| B...B...B...B... | +
| sSSS.O.S.OO.SS.O | +
| O.SS.O.S.OO.SS.O | +
| O.SS.O.S.OO.s.B. | +
| B...B...B...B... | +
3rd time | sSSS.O.S.OO.s... | +
| B...B...B...B... | +
| sSSS.O.S.OO.s... | +
| B...B...B...B... | +
= different | OOOSSSSSSSSSSSSS | + (pretend echauffement)
| OOOSSSSSSSSSSSSS | +
| OOOSSSSSSSS.s.B. | + (flam+bass matches duns = genius :)
| B...B...B...B... | +
Echauffement| OOOSSSSSSSSSSSSS | + (is long to fit dun pattern)
| OOOSSSSSSSSSSSSS | +
| OOOSSSSSSSSSSSSS | +
| OOOSSSSSSSSSSSSS | +
| OOOSSSSSSSSSSSSS | +
| OOOSSSSSSSSSSSSS | +
| OOOSSSSSSSSSSS.. | + (stop when dun tune ends)
Signal | s.OO.s.OO.s.OO.. | (then end with Outro)
Since Sidiki didn't give a particular structure, this is my arrangement based on that of Kalah (I used that notation as a template to write this one, and it seemed an apt fit! :)
The duns play the first part of the Intro/Break/Outro mirroring the Djembes, but the middle section gives them only two hits to play (LOUD!) in different places: the first is after the last Djembe slap, then the second comes right on it; that second dun hit is where the whole piece ends dramatically before the closed Kenkeni/Djembe traps (marked @ above). Or, if there was no preceding echauffement, then continue into the third section of the Break where duns just have two notes again, then return to the Main Rhythm.
(c) Specially composed rhythm taught by djembefola Sidiki Dembele at an all-day workshop with dununfola Yahs (Yahael Camara-Onono) at Nottingham University Social and Sports Club on 2017-11-19 (notated by Malcolm Smith during the class and and reformatted here on 2017-11-27, last updated on 2017-12-04 refining words for ballet duns).