Let Your Voice Be Heard! Songs from Ghana and Zimbabwe Call-and-response, Multipart and Game Songs Arranged and Annotated for Grades K-12 by Abraham Kobena Adzinyah, Dumisani Maraire and Judith Cook Tucker ‘Musical Transcriptions by Judith Cook Tucker SONGS FROM SINGING CULTURES VOL. 1Sansa Kroma An Akan Playground or Mmoguo Song stone passing DX - x + x + x - pattern: @)T r Pela y T P = Groep Tanta iaun (San - sa kro - ma] (ti Ne na wu o-kye -kyer nko = ka mba a (Sah © seh croh - mah nee may WOO awehey-chay "Koh - koh - mah) rue af dekye -kyer nko ko mba lw (San = sao = law [San kro - ma} (Ne one wu ako = ko mba # - smo - Kye = kyer ako - ko mba bet k at t pt sl | Bell Key: X= Grab, + = Pass, T= Tap, P= Pass,— = Clap -17-Sansa Kroma SANSA KROMA NE NA WU 0 OKYERYER NKOKO MBA Sah sah krob-mah nee-nay woo av-chay chay koh-koh mah SANSA KROMA NE NA WU O OKYERYER NKOKO MBA SANSA KROMA NE NA WU O —- NKOKO MBA SANSA KROMA NE NA WU 0 OKYERYER NKOKO MBA ‘TRANSLATION ‘igansa, the have. You are an orphan, and so you snatch ap chicks." EXPLANATION In nature, an orphaned animal must fend for itself in order to survive. For a hawk, this means wandering across the Sky looking for little chicks to snatch up and carry off. ‘kan children singing this song are reminded that if anything Happened to their parents and they becane orphans, they would hapPenave to wander alone, frantically trying to provide for their own needs, ‘They would be taken in by a relative or @ family in their village. S longer version of this song contains two more Lines which translate, "You fly and roam about, an orphan." Child- wea in Ghana frequently observe young hawks flying overhead Than apparent search for chicks to Kill, Some who saw this Sight might have interpreted it to meer the havks have no one to find food for then, and then addec the words to describe the scene. feact Aduonum includes a variant of "Sansa Krowa" called "Sanea Akroma" in his dissertation, a vonderful collection of Ghanaian folktale songs. He classifies the song as 4 mmoguo Song that is a "song interlude" to be used by the audience sors rrator at any point during the telling of a story which Seens related in some way to the idea of this song. (This is Siscussed in more detail in the introduction to Chapter TZ.) ‘a his version, a baby male eagle chases fowl instead of attending his own mother's funeral, because he thought he had fo eat before going to the funeral, if he hoped to eat at Sil. Aduonum writes "this is a teasing song referring te those who are truant and who do not give proper attention te seeses "or duties which need to be given @ priority.” (1980:p.340) NOTES ON USE This nay be easily adapted for use with a group of very young children by breaking each Line into a call-and-response -18-format. (See transcription.) Two stone-passing patterns are possible as well; both have been indicated. ‘Body motions to enhance the sung rhy:hm may be a simple swaying to the left and right on beats one and three or on all four beats; or an added clapping patcern of "clap-clap~ pav-paw" corresponding to beats one, two, three and four (the “paw is a commonly used motion of first one arm and hand reaching out to paw the air in front of tne singer, then the other doing likewise). Additional claps aight be as follows: An exciting percussion and dance ensemble is easy to cre~ ate by assigning a different type of percussion instrument to each clapping pattern, as noted (or switch them around), while at the sane time several students step counterclockwise in acircle. The right foot steps out and then in place, then the left foot comes up to mect the right and stamps again in place, back bent slightly, knees loose. (Right-right, left~ left, right-right, left-left, in a one-two-three-four rhy- thm), Meanwhile, the right and left arms are bent like wings, and jut out rhythmically in opposite directions, exaggerating the right “wing” by poking the elbow out farther and leaning the right shoulder into the circle more with each step of the right foot. “Sanaa Krona" may be performed vocally in several ways: call-and-response as noted; in unison; ‘primarily in unison except for the third measure in each line, when half the singers hold "wu-o" and half continue singing "okyekyer;" “in two part harmony, as noted (Grovp I and II). =19-sounds that aay be used in any situation..-by the Sedinary perfotner....Further, sound producing #n- cepumente that can be readily improvised are the percussive type. One may resort to @ racking case. Porteol or chair or anything that cones to hand in an iaprovisatory situation. (1961:p.587) Of course, we can see that if what is most easily accessible and most easily used is also valued as part of the see t sound, a high degree of participation will result. Experiment with the percussion ensembles found delow. Sample Percussion Ensembles HANDCLAPPING ENSEMBLE (WITH ONE BELL) 4/4 ciap| > emp d td ep capped dp venpp daddy ed dd 2. RHYTHM FOR CLAPS, STICKS, DRUM, BELL a ; a setup pe py 1 sop yd arvap—— + eg dt -95-12/g 32Sed on Ghanaian dance "Agbekor" (slow section) capped a axatse ti axatse pa “HPT oo Asean year old Say froe Goooe Aboso, Ghanay practicing on the atuepan (rtaleing drone"). Afeer partictpating In children's panes and folktale partion "ha ts teniy. toaove on t9 sore complicated Fhythes and Eechacguee, Ac che'stoo sige he focrne deur peceeras he 1s also Caught to" show Fespect for the traditions of his soctety and for the druns Sheasuives By sppronching thea in's prescribed ways" wearing the atana loth wrapped 20 a0 ¢9 leave the close sare. Uniecs he abides by” and Tlonors the cuseoes thae perenin to the drane he will not Se alloved 0 i Bensad them, euch fees learn to play thew. -96-