African Rhythm and African Sensibility:  musical examples

© 2023 John Chernoff, all rights reserved.

Track # Selection Instruments Page reference Time
Multiple meter and cross-rhythms
1 Adzogbo (Kadodo) bell, rattle, Kagan, Kidi 45 0:37
2 Adzogbo (Kadodo) ensemble 46-47 1:47
3 Zhem lead dondon, supporting dondon 46-47 0:36
4 Nyagboli lead gongon 49-52 0:57
5 Nyagboli lead gongon, supporting gongon 49-52 1:26
6 cross-rhythms sticks 52 1:39
7 Takai lead dondon, supporting dondon 53 1:12
Call and response
8 Sohu Sogo variations with Kidi 55-56 1:19
9 Highlife rattle, sticks, two hand drums 56 1:19
10 Adzogbo (Kadodo) Kagan variations with bell, Kidi, Sogo 57 1:03
11 Takai lead dondon, supporting dondon, lead gongon 57 0:26
12 Takai lead gongon, supporting gongon 57 0:26
Supporting drum variations
13 Slow Agbekor Kidi variations with bell 58 1:16
14 Slow Agbekor Kroboto variations with bell, rattle 59 1:14
Drum language
15 rhythmic character of language Dagomba jenjili singer 75-80 3:42
16 Slow Agbekor Atsimewu with bell 78-79 1:28
individual drummer's variations of touch and style
17 Kondalia lead dondon 82 1:04
18 Kondalia lead dondon 82 1:05
19 Agbekor full-turning phrase (slow and fast):  two versions Atsimewu with bell 82 0:59
Musical examples
20 Zhem lead dondon, supporting dondon, gongon 83-84 1:30
21 Slow Agbekor half-turning phrase Atsimewu with bell 85-86 0:13
22 Slow Agbekor half-turning phrase ensemble 85-86 0:18
23 Takai lead dondon, supporting dondon 99-101, 106-11 1:46
24 Takai lead gongon 99-101, 106-11 0:50
25 Takai lead gongon, supporting gongon 99-101, 106-11 0:48
26 Takai ensemble 99-101, 106-11 2:29 (5:13 on cassette)
27 Slow Agbekor full-turning phrase and variation Atsimewu with bell 118-20 0:57
28 Slow Agbekor ensemble 118-20 3:01 (6:14 on cassette)
29 Fast Agbekor ensemble 118-20 4:00 (5:28 on cassette)
Ewe drumming
30 Gahu mother phrase and responses Atsimewu, Sogo, bell 121 1:29
31 Gahu ensemble 121 4:28
32 Gahu ensemble 121 3:09
33 Kunde cult drumming two gongons, bells 121 3:29
Dagomba drumming
34 praise-name dance ensemble 123 2:23
35 Gurunsi (Kasena) dance beat ensemble 123 2:55
36 Kondalia lead dondon, supporting dondon 127 3:20
37 Kondalia ensemble 127 3:20
Music in Tamale
38 Simpa ensemble with metal drums 128-31 2:58
39 Simpa “Indian” group ensemble with flute 128-31 2:24
40 Simpa solo artist on metal oil-can drum 128-31 3:27
41 moglo  (lute) moglo guitar 128-31 1:18
42 fiddle  (goonji) music fiddlers with rattles 128-31 0:52
43 jenjili  (musical bow) jenjili singer with bottle accompaniment 128-31 4:44
Remastered tracks
29 Fast Agbekor ensemble 7:52
28 Slow Agbekor ensemble (different version from original cassette) 7:21
26, 37 Takai: the full ensemble recording with Takai, Nyagboli, and Kondalia, plus Dibs' ata and Nun da nyuli 28:54
15 Jenjili song 6:39