Djelidon / Djelifoli / Sanja / Lamba

Djelifoli is the name of a rhythm that accompanies the Djelidon, the dance that used to be danced exclusively by the Djeli, the Griot (foli means rhythm and don means dance). This name is used as well in Guinea as in Mali. There are definitely several versions of Djelifoli; are they seperate rhythms? It seems that they are variation of the same rhythm. Originally the balafon, kora od n'goni were instruments that were exclusively played by the griot. So these instrument together with the djelidundun were used to play the Djelifoli. Nowadays the rhythm is often played in the djembe ensemble.
One of the songs/interpretations that is sung with Djelifoli is Lamba or Lamban. This name is used as well in Guinea as Mali. Sandia (Sandya) is the name for this rhythm that is more used in Mali.
There are many interpretations of the rhythm and it's songs. Two essential differences show below. As Stephan Rigert puts it well: "Sandia is a good example to widen the borders of our metrical musical understanding." Beside the version he descrobes in his book, "many would notate in a way that "his" 4+ (halfway between 4 and 1) would be the 1 (as a starting point for call, main accent and dance)." Try and feel the beat according to line "j" as well as line "k".

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a
O O . O . O . . O O . O . O . . O O . O . O . . O b
. . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 . . . . . .c
O . . O O . . O O . . O O . . O O . . O O . O O . d
. . . T T S T T S T T S . . . . . . . . . . . e
. . . S . T . T . T . T . T T S S . . . . . . . . f
. . . . . S . T . T . T . T . T T S S . . . . . . g
S . B S S T T S S . B S S T T S S . B S S T T S S h
. . . T T S . . S S . T T S . . S S . T T S . . S i
. 4 . . . 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . 1 . . 2 j
. . . 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . 1 . . . 2 . k

b = kenkeni, c= doun doun, d= 2nd kenkeni, breaks on e, f and g, djembe accompagnement on line h and i.

In the following clip sandia is played. In de second part of the rhythm you can see a woman that is clapping the beat according to notation "k" http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=ps0XqicZK_Q).
The same beat is played by the sjeker in the video here http://www.kela.fr/video/Sandya_windows.wmv
In this recording of lessons by Drissa Kone for the IDON-group you can hear the added call, starting on the same beat using the call on line "f" http://www.paulnas.eu/wap/sandia for IDON from Drissa Kone.mp3 and http://www.paulnas.eu/wap/sandia solofrases.mp3

Most Lamba-pieces I know have a beat according to the notation in line "j" (Lessons by Martin Bernhard,Demuno and Ponda O'Brian + recordings by Famoudou Konate). In these pieces the basic kenkeni pattern is split in a kenkeni and sangban pattern.

You can find more about microtiming on the Djembémande website. In the solo´s there is a strong accent on the 7th pulse (in the 2nd beat)..

WAP-pages / Paul Nas / Last changed at 20-07-2007


Lamba
Ponda O´Bryan´s interpretation of Lamba
Call
T T S T T S T T S . . . . . . .
r l r l r l r l r . . . . . . .
K . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O .
S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O .
D . . . . . . . . . . . . O . O .

Kenkeni
O . . . O . O . O . . . O . O .
x . x . x . x . x . x . x . x .

Sangban
O . . O . . O . O . . O . . O .
x . x x . x x . x . x x . x x .

Doun Doun
. . . O . . O . . . . . O . O .
x . x x . x x . x . x . x . x .

Djembé solofrase 1
. . . . . . . . . . . . S . S .
. . . . . . . . . . . . f . f .

. . T T . . S . . . . . . . . .
. . r l . . f . . . . . . . . .

Djembé solofrase 2
. . . . . . . . . . . . T T S S
. . . . . . . . . . . . r l r l

S S S S . . S . . . . . . . . .
r l r l . . f . . . . . . . . .

Djembé solofrase 3
. . . . . . . . . . . . T T . T
. . . . . . . . . . . . r l . l

T . T T . . S . . . . . S S . S
r . r l . . f . . . . . . . . .

S . S S . . S . . . . . . . . .
r . r l . . f . . . . . . . . .

Djembé solofrase 4
. . . . . . . . . . . . T . S S
. . . . . . . . . . . . f . r l

T . S S T . S . . . . . . . . .
f . r l f . f . . . . . . . . .

Djembé solofrase 5
. . . . . . . . . . . . S S S S
. . . . . . . . . . . . 2 r l r

S S . S . . S . . . . . . . . .
l r . r . . f . . . . . . . . .

Mamoudou "Delmundo" Keita´s interpretation of Lamba:
Call
S . T . T . T . T . T . T . . .
f . r . r . r . r . r . r . . .
S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O .
D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O O

Kenkeni
O . . . O . o . O . . . O . o .
x . x . x . x . x . x . x . x .

Sangban
O . . O . . O . O . . O . . O .
x . x x . x x . x . x x . x x .

Doun Doun
. . . . O . O . O . o O . . O O
. . x . x . x . x . x x . . x x

Doun Doun variation
. . O O . . O O . . O O . . O O
. . x x . . x x . . x x . . x x

Larry Morris´s interpretation
Sangban
. . . . . . . . . . O . O . O O
. x x . x x . x x . x . x . x x

Dundun
O . . . O . O . O . . . O . O .
x . x . x . x . x . x . x . x .

O . . . O . O . O . . O . O O .
x . x . x . x . x . x x . x x .

Sanja / Djelidon
Drissa Kone
Call
S . T . T . T . T . T T S S. . .
f . r . r . r . r . r . r l . .

Kenkeni
O O . . O O . . O O . . O O . .
x x . . x x . . x x . . x x . .

Sangban
O . O . . O O . O . O . . O O .
x . x x . x x . x . x x . x x .

Doun doun
D O . . . . . . . O . . . . . . .
x . x . x x x x . x . x x . x

Doun doun variation 1
O . . . . . O O . O O . . . . .
x . x . x . x x . x x . x x . x

Doun doun variation 2
O . . . . . O O . O O . O O . O
x . x . x . x x . x x . x x . x

O O . O O O . O O O . O O O . . O
x x . x x x x x x . x x x . x x

Djembé accompagnement (watch the slight delay in 2nd and 10th puls
T T S . b S S . T T S . . b S S
r l r . r l r . r l r . . l r l

Djembé solophrase 1
S S . B S S . . S S T T S S . .
r l . l r l . . r l r l r l . .

Djembé solophrase 2 (watch the microtiming)
T S S T T S S T T S S T T S S T
r l r l r l r l r l r l r l r l


Serge Blanc´s interpretation (starting point adjusted!)
Kenkeni
O . O . . O O . O . O . . O O .
x . x x . x x . x . x x . x x .

Combination
S . . . . . O . . . . . . . O . .
D O . . . . . . . . . O O . . . .
x . x . x x x . x x x . x . x

Djembé 1 (watch the slight delay in 2nd and 10th pulse)
T T S . b S S . T T S . . b S S
r l r . r l r . r l r . . l r l

Djembé 2
S S T T S S . B S S T T S S . B
r l r l r l . l r l r l r l . l

index | legenda (nl) | legend (en) | inleiding (nl) | introduction (en)

Thanks for taking notice of this interpretation of this rhythm but please consult some real authority's (like Famoudou Konaté and Mamady Keïta) or genuine TEACHERS for further study. Check also the other SITES WITH RHYTHM-NOTATIONS on West African Percussion on the Internet. And share your knowledge and ideas to these WAP-pages and to others.