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Samba Reggae
(Tune signal: smoking a cigar/ joint)
Notes:
This
is the definite must know tune.
The tempo of the song is dictated by the caller on the repenique. Start at a funky but not too fast rate.
Begin the song with the Intro break.
Use the intro, call and response, and short breaks frequently. Also call lots of breaks for 4 beats - try leaving one instrument going each time (don’t forget the surdos – they sound great on their own if you call a break of 8 beats). Alternatively try calling a break of 8 beats, have the tams break for 4 beats and leave the agogos playing.
Don’t forget that you can string a load of short breaks
together (try playing with the volume whilst you're doing this - go from quiet
to loud and back again).
You can also try playing around with stopping all the instruments except one groups, then bringing them back in one at time to build up the sound.
Samba Reggae is a very flexible tune. Using the intro break you can slow the tempo right down to a laid back reggae style pace. Play it at that speed for a little while (chuck in a break or two as well if you like). Then go back into the Intro break and kick it up into high speed and get the crowd bouncing!
End with the intro break.
P.S. The samba band at one of our local primary schools play a tune that uses the same rhythm we play on the tam and agogo. The youngsters remember the rhythm using the mnemonic "I like toast and jam" (cheers for that Larkrise samba band!).
[Sound files] [Printable Version]
Groove
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| Low Surdo | x | x | |||||||||||||||||
| Mid Surdo | x | x | |||||||||||||||||
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x | x | x | x | |||||||||||||||
| x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||||||||||||
| Repenique | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||||||||||
| Snare | x | . | . | x | . | . | x | . | . | . | x | . | x | . | . | . | |||
| Tamborim | x | x | x | x | x | ||||||||||||||
| Agogo | l | h | l | h | h | ||||||||||||||
| Shakers | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||||||||||
x = hit
l
= low agogo bell
h = high agogo bell
. = ghost note (quiet snare note)
Intro break
(Signal: both hands on the chest then stretching your arms outwards towards your band, to make a "me to you" kind of signal.)
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Intro break |
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R = Repenique
E = Everyone else
A = All
Call and Response break
(Signal: alternating "karate chop" movements with hands by the side of head)
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Everyone else |
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Repeat FOUR times
Short Break
(Signal: like the "small word" sign in charades - thumb and 1st finger held apart to to signal something small)
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Everybody |
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Tunes |
Instruments |
