Library Item: Takai Suite
Takai is one of the oldest drum rhythms of the Dagomba, and the story tells of how they came to be so close to the Mossi tribe. There was a war going on between the Dagomba and Mossi, and a Dagomba woman got lost in the bush and was eventually found by a Mossi hunter. Years later, when there was once again conflict between the Dagomba and Mossi, the woman’s history came to light, and because of this connection they halted the fighting. Combined, the drum language for all the parts says “chief says listen, stop the fight.”
Like Tora and Baamaaya, Takai is in the form of a suite or medley. Each section has its own name, musical phrases, and dance movements. Takai dancers, arranged in a large circle, hold rods in their right hands that they strike together. Wearing smocks that flare out when they wheel around, dancers strike rods to their front and rear on the cadence moment of the drum rhythm. The clacking sound of the dancers’ rods is part of the overall percussive music of Takai. The joy of performance comes from the way the drummers and dancers meet at each cadence point in the recycling musical theme.
| Supporting Materials |
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| Kondaliya (view the file in the Digital Library) Part-by-Part Sessions by Alhaji Abubakari |
Time signature: 2/4 | |||
| File Type |  |
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| Vocable – Audio | ||||
| Vocable – Staff Notation | Download | Download | Download | Download |
| Vocable – Transcription | Download | |||
| Drumming – Audio | ||||
| Drumming – Staff Notation | Download | Download | Download | Download |
| Drumming – Transcription | Download | |||
| Drum Language – Audio | ||||
| Drum Language – Text | Download | Download | Download | Download |
| Ensemble Rhythm | Download | |||
| Ensemble Recording Sessions | ||||
| Multi-track Sessions by Alhaji Abubakari | Online Mixer | |||
| DDD Sessions by Prof. Locke and Students | ||||
| Ngunda Nyuli (View the file in the Digital Library) Part-by-Part Sessions by Alhaji Abubakari |
Time signature: 6/8 | |||
| File Type | |
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| Vocable – Audio | ||||
| Vocable – Staff Notation | Download | Download | Download | |
| Drumming – Audio | ||||
| Drumming – Staff Notation | Download | Download | Download | |
| Drum Language – Audio | Play | Play | ||
| Drum Language – Text | Download | Download | Download | |
| Ensemble Rhythm | Download | |||
| Ensemble Recording Sessions | ||||
| Multi-track Sessions by Alhaji Abubakari | Online Mixer | |||
| DDD Sessions by Prof. Locke and Students | ||||
| Takai-Nyagboli (view the files in the Digital Library) Part-by-Part Sessions by Alhaji Abubakari |
Time signature: 2/4 | |||
| File Type | |
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| Vocable – Audio | ||||
| Vocable – Staff Notation | Download | Download | Download | Download |
| Drumming – Audio | ||||
| Drumming – Staff Notation | Download | Download | Download | Download |
| Drum Language – Audio | Play | Play | ||
| Drum Language – Text | Download | Download | Download | Download |
| Ensemble Rhythm | Download | |||
| Ensemble Recording Sessions | ||||
| Multi-track Sessions by Alhaji Abubakari | Online Mixer | |||
| DDD Sessions by Prof. Locke and Students | ||||
| Takai (View the files in the Digital Library) Part-by-Part Sessions by Alhaji Abubakari |
Time signature: 6/8 | |||
| File Type |  |
 |
 |
 |
| Vocable – Audio | ||||
| Vocable – Staff Notation | Download | Download | Download | Download |
| Vocable – Transcription | Download | |||
| Drumming – Audio | ||||
| Drumming – Staff Notation | Download | Download | Download | Download |
| Drum Language – Audio | Play | Play | ||
| Drum Language – Text | Download | Download | Download | Download |
| Ensemble Rhythm | Download | |||
| Ensemble Recording Sessions | ||||
| Multi-track Sessions by Alhaji Abubakari | Online Mixer | |||
| DDD Sessions by Prof. Locke and Students | ||||
| Tanchili Gong (View the file in the Digital Library Part-by-Part Sessions by Alhaji Abubakari |
Time signature: 6/8 | |||
| File Type | |
|
|
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| Vocable – Audio | ||||
| Vocable – Staff Notation | Download | Download | Download | |
| Drumming – Audio | ||||
| Drumming – Staff Notation | Download | Download | Download | |
| Drum Language – Audio | Play | Play | ||
| Drum Language – Text | Download | Download | Download | |
| Ensemble Rhythm | Download | |||
| Ensemble Recording Sessions | ||||
| Multi-track Sessions by Alhaji Abubakari | Online Mixer | |||
| DDD Sessions by Prof. Locke and Students | ||||