Post on 14-Jan-2017
PERCUSSIVE NOTES 26 AUGUST 2002
Mamady Keita has establishedhimself as the standard-bearerof jembe improvisation. People
chuckle when I refer to him as “theMichael Jordan of the jembe.” The refer-ence conjures the image of complete mas-tery—of an uncanny ability to make thedifficult (and, for many of us, even theimpossible) appear effortless. We chucklebecause we realize how rare such mas-tery is, and how joyous it is to be in itspresence. Our breath has been takenaway by one of Jordan’s thunderingdunks or acrobatic lay-ups. Highlightssuch as these are etched in our memory,and yet they represent only a glimpse ofa total performance picture. Even Jordanhas to play defense and make his freethrows.
One of the benchmarks of composi-tional mastery (including improvisationas spontaneous musical composition) iswhat I refer to as “economy of means.”Keita’s mastery of motivic economy hasbeen illustrated in my two previous ar-ticles, “Mamady Keita’s ‘Kassa,’” (PN 35/2, April 1997) and “Mamady Keita’s‘Mendiani’” (PN 37/4, August 1999). In anutshell, “economy of means” refers tothe art of “doing more with less.” As weshall see, in no instance is this conceptbetter illustrated than in Keita’s record-ing of “Kuku.”
“Kuku” originated as a social dance ofthe Manian people from the forest regionof southeastern Guinea, around Beyla,near the borders of Mali and Ivory Coast.Originally played for women as they re-turned from fishing, “Kuku” was tradi-tionally played only on jembes (withoutdunduns) with one tuned very low(Billmeier, 150). This is exactly how it ispresented on Keita’s recording: two ac-companying jembes and a shekere(djabara) support Keita’s solo, which isperformed on a very low jembe. The en-tire solo consists of six motives that un-dergo various manipulative processesincluding repetition, alteration, fragmen-tation, elaboration, and extension.
The initial motive is a call (also knownas a “break”) that appears only at the be-ginning (to signal the ensemble to com-
Mamady Keita’s “Kuku”BY B. MICHAEL WILLIAMS
mence playing) and at the end (to signalthe ensemble to stop). This motive is in-strumental in generating the five othermotives in the solo.
The next motive (Motive A) has themost entries of any other (20), and servesto underpin the entire improvisation. Itis a two-bar motive (as are all six mo-tives), consisting entirely of silence savea single ringing stroke on the last six-teenth-note subdivision of count 3 (the“a” of the beat) in the second bar. When-ever it appears, Motive A is always imme-diately repeated and never undergoesfurther manipulation other than simplerepetition. As such, it seems rather in-nocuous, and yet that single ringingstroke on the last sixteenth-note subdivi-sion of count 3 appears in every othermotive in the entire improvisation. Allthe other motives are generated fromcombinations derived from the Call Mo-tive and this single ringing stroke.
Motive B is derived from the Call Mo-tive and demonstrates an excellent ex-ample of rhythmic alteration. It cangenerally be described as a triplet figuresandwiched between two syncopated ges-tures, yet it appears only once in thisoriginal form (bar 5). In subsequent en-tries, the syncopated gestures graduallybecome “tripletized,” first in bar 23 (onthe downbeat of the motive’s second bar)and then in bar 45 (on the initial ges-ture). All the remaining entries are inthis altered (“tripletized”) configuration.
Motive C is derived from the two syn-copated gestures found in Motive B’s ini-tial configuration. It appears in itsoriginal form at bars 9, 63, and 95. At bar13, the figure is elaborated by a 4:3 crossrhythm in muffled slaps (this figure im-mediately generates Motive D in bar 15),and again in bar 37 (this time with the4:3 cross rhythm appearing as opentones). It appears in various degrees offragmentation in bars 19, 31, and 111.
Motive D is generated by the elabo-rated version of Motive C appearing inbar 13. In bar 15, the figure takes on itsown identity and undergoes processes ofextension (bars 25, 87, and 89), elabora-tion (bars 47, 69, and 103), tonal alter-
ation (bar 103), and rhythmic alteration(bars 69 and 113).
Motive E is related to Motive D in bothsize and shape. Both are characterized bya tied, syncopated figure in the first barfollowed by a “straightened out” versionwithout ties in the second. The motiveappears in its original configuration atbars 27, 41, 59, and 97. The figures arealtered by the insertion or omission ofties in bars 33, 43, and 71. In bar 73, andagain in bar 91, the motive is elaboratedwith muffled slaps as seen in Motive D.It is extended by means of syncopatedgestures in bar 101.
Notice that all the motives grow out ofone another, and all can ultimately betraced to both the Call Motive and Mo-tive A. Through the ingenious applicationof the processes of repetition, rhythmicand tonal alteration, fragmentation,elaboration, and extension, MamadyKeita takes a single motive and creates acomplete improvisation with incredibleeconomy of means. Nothing is added orsubtracted that isn’t somehow related tothe original generative idea—and all thisis spontaneously improvised!
No thundering slam dunks orskywalking lay-ups here; just a breath-taking example of “defense and freethrows,” of doing more with less. LikeJordan, Keita makes it all seem effort-less. Listen to the recording and itsounds so simple. In reality, it is nothingshort of amazing.
REFERENCESBillmeier, Uschi, 1999. Mamady Keita: A Life
for the Djembe—Traditional Rhythms of theMalinke. Engerda: Arun-Verlag (distributedin North America by African Rhythm Trad-ers, www.rhythmtraders.com).
Keita, Mamady, 1989. Wassolon (CD record-ing), Fonti Musicali fmd 159.
THE UPCOMING CALENDAR HAS BEEN MOVED TO THE PASWEB SITE (WWW.PAS.ORG) IN ORDER TO KEEP IT MORE UP-TO-DATE THAN WAS POSSIBLE WITH A CALENDAR THAT WAS
ONLY PUBLISHED EVERY OTHER MONTH. THE ONLINE
UPCOMING CALENDAR WILL BE UPDATED WEEKLY.INFORMATION FOR UPCOMING EVENTS CAN BE SENT TO
HERSCHEL STARK, 4106 ORCHARD HILL DR., ARLINGTON
TX 76016-3714; E-MAIL: UPCOMING@FLASH.NET
PERCUSSIVE NOTES 27 AUGUST 2002
“KUKU”NOTATION KEY
JEMBE ENSEMBLE
ESSENTIAL MOTIVES
ã
ã
ã
c
c
c
.
...
.
...
.
...
Lead Jembe(Tuned very low)
Jembe 2Shekere
Jembe 3
Call
Œ ‰ .r
œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ
∑
∑
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
∑
∑
Solo
œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
‰ œ œ ‰J
œ
‰ œ œ ‰J
œ
ã
ã
ã
ã
ã
ã
c
c
c
c
c
c
Call Motive(2 entries)
Motive A(20 entries)
Motive B(9 entries)
Motive C(8 entries)
Motive D(8 entries)
Motive E(11 entries)
Œ ‰ .r
œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ
bar 1, 115
∑
Ó ≈ œ œ
3
œ œ œ
bar 3, 7, 11, 17, 21, 29, 35, 39, 49, 53, 57, 61, 65, 75, 79, 83, 93, 99, 105, 109
Ó ≈ œ œ œ
bar 5, 23, 45, 51, 55, 67, 77, 81, 107
bar 9, 13, 19, 31, 37, 63, 95, 111
Œ .œ
¿ ¿ .¿
Œ
bar 15, 25, 47, 69, 87, 89, 103, 113
Œ œ œ œ œ Œ
bar 27, 33, 41, 43, 59, 71, 73, 85, 91, 97, 101
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ
œ œ œ œ .œ ‰ .
R
œ œ
≈ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ
œ
¿ ¿
‰ .
R
œ œ
œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ
ã
Notation Key
œ
œ
œ ¿
bass tone slap muffled slap
PERCUSSIVE NOTES 30 AUGUST 2002
JEMBE SOLO
ãc
.
...
Call
Œ ‰ .r
œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ Ó ≈ œ œ
3
œ œ œ
ã
.
...
œ œ œ œ .œ ‰ .
R
œ œ ∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ Ó ≈ œ œ œ ≈ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ
ã
.
...
∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ Ó ≈ œ
¿
‰J
¿ ¿ .¿ ¿ ¿
‰ .
R
œ œ Œ .œ
¿ ¿ .¿
Œ œ
¿ ¿
‰ .
R
œ œ
ã
.
...
∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ ∑ ≈ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ ∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ
ãÓ ≈ œ œ
3
œ œ œ
3
œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ Œ .œ
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
Œ œ
¿ ¿
‰ .
R
œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ
ã
.
...
∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ Ó ≈
R
œ ‰ œ ≈
R
œ ‰ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ
ã
.
...
∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ Ó ≈
.
J
¿
.œ œ œ œ Œ ‰ .
R
œ œ ∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ
㌠œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ Ó
3
‰ œ œ
3
œ œ œ
ã
.
...
3
œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ Œ œ œ ≈
¿ ¿
Œ œ œ
¿ ¿
‰ .
R
œ œ ∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ Ó
3
‰ œ œ
3
œ œ œ
ã
3
œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ ∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ Ó
3
‰ œ œ
3
œ œ œ
3
œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ ∑
ã
.
.....
.
.Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ ∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ
ã
.
...
Ó ≈ œ œ œ ≈ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ ∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ Ó
3
‰ œ œ
3
œ œ œ
3
œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ
PERCUSSIVE NOTES 31 AUGUST 2002
ã
.
...
Œ .œ
¿ ¿ .¿
Œ .œ
¿ ¿ .¿
‰ .
R
œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ Œ œ œ œ .œ
¿ ¿ .¿
ã
.
...
œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ ∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ Ó
3
‰ œ œ
3
œ œ œ
3
œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ ∑
ãÓ ‰ .
R
œ œ Ó
3
‰ œ œ
3
œ œ œ
3
œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ ∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ
ã
.
...
3X
Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ Œ .œ
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
‰ .
R
œ œ
ãÓ ‰
J
œ
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
œ Œ œ œ œ œ
¿ ¿
Œ œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ ∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ
ã
.
.....
.
.Ó ≈ œ œ œ ≈ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ ∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ
㌠œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ Œ .œ
¿ ¿
œ œ
.¿
.œ
¿
Œ ‰ .
R
œ œ ∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ
ãÓ
3
‰ œ œ
3
œ œ œ
3
œ œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ ∑ Ó ‰ .
R
œ œ Ó ‰ .
R
œ
>
œ
>
㉠.
R
œ
>
œ
>
‰ .
R
œ œ Œ .œ
¿ ¿ .¿
Œ
¿
œ œ œ ‰ .
R
œ œ Ó œ
>
œ
>
œ
>
œ œ
>
œ
>
œ
>
œ
>
œ
>
œ
>
Œ œ
>
B. Michael Williams is Professor of Music and Director of Percussion Studies at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina.He holds a B.M. degree from Furman University, M.M. from Northwestern University, and Ph.D. from Michigan State University.Williams is active throughout the Southeast as a performer and clinician in symphonic and world music, and is CommunicationsDirector for the South Carolina PAS Chapter. Publications to his credit include “Four Solos for Frame Drums,” “Three ShonaSongs” for marimba ensemble, “Recital Suite for Djembe,” “Another New Riq,” “Bodhran Dance,” and “Learning Mbira,” all pub-lished by HoneyRock Publications. PN