Mendiani

Mendiani was originally a dance for specially trained young girls (6-14). Villages would have competitions to see who was the best Mendiani dancer. The girls would enter the competition area standing on the shoulders of men accompanied by the Dennadon rhythm.

1 . . 2 . . 3 . . 4 . .
Break @ . T t . T t . T t . .

               1 . . 2 . . 3 . . 4 . .
Jembe 1        S . T s . . S . T s . .
Jemne 1 alt    S . t S . b S . t S . b

Jembe 2 S . . s T t S . . s T t

Jembe 3 . . S . T s . . S . T s optional

               1 . . 2 . . 3 . . 4 . .
               x . x x . x x . x x . x
Sangba         B . B . . M . . B . B .   microtiming last B
                               ^
               1 . . 2 . . 3 . . 4 . .
               x . x x . x x . x x . x
Kenkeni        B . . . . B B . . . . B
                                     ^
               1 . . 2 . . 3 . . 4 . .
Bell           . x x . x x . x x . x x
Simple Bell    x . . x . . x . . x . .
Dununba        . B B . . . . . . . B B
                                   ^

               1 . . 2 . . 3 . . 4 . .
variation 1    . B B . B . B . B . B B on occasion

               1 . . 2 . . 3 . . 4 . .
variation 2    . B B . . . . . . . B B >> on occasion
               . B . B . B . B B . B . >>
               B . B B . . . . . . B B >> back to normal

Some solo phrases

Source: Abdoul

Timeline 1 . . 2 . . 3 . . 4 . .

S . T S . . S . T S B . >>
S . T S B B S B T S B . 3x total

S . . B S . . B S S T T >>
S . . B S T T S T T S . 3x total

                T T S S B S S B S S B S 3x, skip last S before break

Break           @ . T T . T T . T T . . >>
                $

Intro Break (from CD - Famadou?)
Call and basses respond
Dun and sangba plays basses
Kenkeni goes into part.

      1 . . 2 . . 3 . . 4 . .
                  % . . % . . >>    % = Tone-Slap flam
      TtT t S t T s S s . . b >>
      B . b B . . % . . % . . >>
      TtT t S t T s S s . . b >>
      B . b B . . % . . % . . >>
      TtT t S t T s S s . . b >>
      B . b B . . . . b B . b >>
      B . . . . b B . . . . . >> into rhythm

Kenkeni
      1 . . 2 . . 3 . . 4 . .
call              % . . % . . >>    % = Ts flam
      TtT t S t T s S s . . K >>    starts and keeps going
      K . . . . K K . . . . K >>    regular part throughout
      K . . . . K K . . . . K >>
      K . . . . K K . . . . K >>
      K . . . . K K . . . . K >>
      K . . . . K K . . . . K >>
      K . . . . K K . . . . K >>

Sangba -- last line response:
      1 . . 2 . . 3 . . 4 . .
      B . . . . B B . B . B .   goes into rhythm right away
                      ^
      B . B . . M . . B . B .