Kuku

Originally Kuku (Koukou, Cucu, Coucou) is a circle-dance for the woman, celebrating the return from fishing. To the Beyla-and Nzerekore-area, (situated partly in Guinea partly in the Ivory Coast) there was once a Malinke-migration. The Malinke mixed with the local people here and formed the Konianka (,Konya, Konyagui or Manian, as the Malinke say) who now speak a Malinke-dialect. This was where the rhythm originally comes from. The rhythm was only played by one low-tuned djembe (see djemb-pattern 1) and one very large solo-djemb. Only later, out of this djemb-pattern, the patterns for the bass-drums evolved. Nowadays Kuku is very popular all over West Africa and played on many occasions. Because of this popularity the rhythm is known with lots of varietys in the different areas that its played. Two songs:

Kenkeni Mamady

x x

x x

x x

x x

Sangban Mamady

" x x

x x

" x x

x x

Doun doun Mamady x

x x x x x

! x x x

Doun doun variatie 1 x

x x x x x x

Langinab, ee ewontang jaga langinab, o ma la guinee borima

peace for us, peace for the people from Guinea

x x x x x x x x

O ya, it kuku foni

Yes, play the Kuku for me! Call T f TT r l T l TT l r T r T r Sangban (Famoudou) Combi sangban doun doun bell x x x x x x x ! x x x Doun doun (Famoudou) x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Kenkeni (Famoudou) x x x x x x x x

Kenkeni alternative

x x

x x

x x

x x

Djemb 1

S r

TT r l

S r

S r

TT r l

S r l

Djemb solo 1 phrase 1

TTTTTTTTS r l r l r l r l r

S r

Djemb 2

B r

TT r l

S r

B r

TT r l

S r phrase 2

SSSSSSSST r l r l r l r l r

T r

Djemb 3

S r

B r

TT r l

S r

B r

TT r l phrase 3

SS r l

B r

BSSSSS l 2 r l r l

Djemb 4

TT r l

STTS l r l r

TT r l

STTS l r l r

SS r l

B r

BSSSSSSS S l 2 r l r l r l r

Djemb 5

TT r l

BTTB l r l r

TT r l

BTTB l r l r

SS l r

B r

BSSSSS l 2 r l r l

T l

Djemb 6

S r

S r

TT r l

BS l r

S r

TT r l

B l

S r

TS r l

TS l r

TTS r l r

S f

Djemb 7

T r

TTBSS r l r l r

T r

TTBSS r l r l r phrase 4

S r

TS r l

TS r l

TS r l

TS r l

S r

S r

SS l r

SS l r

S r

S r

BTSSSSSSS phrase 5 r l r l r l r l r

BTS S r l r l

Djemb solo 2 phrase 1

SSSTTTSSSTTTSSS S 2 r l 2 r l 2 r l 2 r l 2 r l r

S r

BTSSSSSSS r l r l r l r l r

SSS l r l

STTSTTS phrase 6 r l r l r l r

B r

SSS r l r phrase 2

BTTBSSSSTTSSS l 2 r l 2 r l r l r l r l

B B phrase 7 r l

B B r l

B B r l

B r phrase 3

BTTBSSSSBTTBSSS S l 2 r l 2 r l r l 2 r l 2 r l r

SSTSTTS phrase 8 r l r l r l r

B r

SSS r l r

BSSSSSSSS l 2 r l r l r l r

T phrase 4 r

TS r l

S l

S r

T r

T S r l

S l

S r

T r

TS r l

S r

T phrase 5 r

ST r l

ST l r

ST r l

ST l r

S T r l

T r

ST r l

ST l r

SSSST 2 r l r l

Djemb solo 3 phrase 1

S r

S r

S r

S r

S r

S r

S r

S r

B r

S r

B r

S r

B r

T r

T r

S r

B r

B BTTB BS phrase 2 r l r l r l r

B BTTB BS r l r l r l r

BT phrase 3 l r

BS r l

S l

BT l r

B r

S r

TSTSSTSSTSTSSTS phrase 4 r l r l r l r l r l r l r l r

STTSTTSTTSTTSTTS phrase 5 l r l r l r l r l r l r l r l r

Sources: Lessons from: Martin Bernhard, Famoudou Konate Dance classes from: Danielle van Son, Bebe Youla. CDs:Famoudou Konate, Mamady Keita, Books: Mamady Keita, Famoudou Konate, Ponda OBryan, Age Delbanco, Serge Blanc, Stephan Rigert. Internet sources: Paul Janse, Larry Morris and Rafael Kronberger.

Kuku / WAP-Pages / Paul Nas