MAKURU (MACRU)

Timeline: 

             1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . 
Dj#1         B . . s . T t . B . s . . T t .
Dj#2         t . . S . . . T t . S . s . . T
Dj#3         B t . t B . s . B . t . B . s .
Dun Bell     x . . x x . x . x . x . x . x .
Dun          B . . B B . . . B . B . B . . . 
Sangba Bell  x . x . x . x . x . x . x . x .
Sangba       B . . . . . B . B . . . . . B .
Bell         x . . . x x . . x . . . x . . .
Kenkeni      . . B B . . B B . . B B . . B B

Break into Yankadi:

Lead Enchouffement, then pause, then: 

             1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . 
Dj#1         . . . s S s . . S . s . . . . .
Response                              B . B . >>
             B . . . . . . . . . . .
             1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . 
Dj#1               s S . . . S . S . . . .
Response                             B . B .  >>
             B . . . . . .
             1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . 
Dj#1               s S . . . S . S . . . . .
Response                              B . B . >>
             B . . . 
             1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . 
Dj#1               s S . . . S . S . . . . .
Response                             B . B . >>
             B . . .

ALL (slaps on jembe) 

                     B . B . B . . . B . B . >>
             B . . . B . B . B . . . B . B . >>
             B . . . B . . . B . . . B . . . >>
             Yankadi

NAME OF RHYTHM: Makuru, (Macuru, Macru)

COUNTRY: Coastal Region of Guinea (Journey Into Rhythm & Master of the 

                                            Forest Liner Notes)

OTHER NAMES: Baga Gine (Famoudou Konate)

REGIONAL/ETHNIC GROUPS: Sousou coastal people of Guinea (Liner notes Journey Into Rhythm) 

                 Soussou  (Master of the Forest, Bamidele and Abdoulaye Sylla liner notes)

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:

A celebration and courting dance played at social gatherings (Journey Into Rhythm Liner Notes)

Celebration dance done after the harvest by young men and women when there is a beautiful full moon (Abdoulaye Sylla Liner Notes)

A dance rhythm (Master of the Forest Liner Notes)

Makru is apparently (source Mamady) one of the few 'native' rythms thathave been played in Conakry for a long time, and probably because of the Baga living close by. However, there seem to be many versions, those from Famoudou and Mamady are similar except for speed (slow for Famoudou, neck breaking for Mamady as it alternates with Yankadi, played slowly (Yves Goulnik)

A celebration dance (Bamidele liner notes)

RELATED RHYTHMS: Often danced in alternation with Yankadi

SONG LYRICS: 

    Call:     Maya Maya, Maya Boh May
    Response: Maya Maya, Maya Boh May
    Yalla minifah, Yalla minifah
    Dioray khoniyo, birideynah minifah          (Abdoulaye Sylla, Guinea)
    Aay, aay yu ba lai oh
    Ah yu ba la
    Aay yu ba lai oh ay                         (Master of the Forest)