Ewe gospel song from Benin with David Sax and cool 24 beat bell pattern (see description).
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2025
- I adore this song/video and I couldn't find it anywhere online, so I thought I should post it. I first heard it when Melbourne percussion legend, Ray Pereira www.raypereira... shared it on Facebook, asking his friends what they thought the rhythm was doing. He'd been sent it by fabulous Ghanaian musician Nii Tettey Tetteh (whose guitarist had found it), seeking Ray's opinion. Ray initially thought it was a fast version of Fume Fume (a 12 beat pattern as 2-2-3-2-3).
I heard it as being like the traditional Ewe/Fon piece, Adohu Kadodo*, in which the 8 beat bell pattern (1-2-1-2-2), is played 3 times over a 24 beat cycle, with 8 pulses ("3 in the pulse" or triplet feel) across the cycle. But the bell in this song isn't a straight 8 beat (1-2-1-2-2) pattern, and yet isn't quite the fast Fume Fume either. And in this song, even though the phrasing often hints at an 8 (x3) pulse, they give no clear pulse until 2 minutes in!
I put the track into my recording software (Reaper) and found that it all locks to a 122bpm click (for the 8 pulse or 91.5bpm for the 6 pulse). I've made a version with the 8 pulse beatboxed throughout to help feel it, which is definitely worth a listen: malwebb.com/Ben...
In my opinion, they recorded the piece to a 122bpm click (and maybe even with a fuller rhythm track that was later mixed out).
My Ewe drumming teacher from uni days, Chris Lesser, agreed that it's a 24 beat cycle and analysed the 8 beat bell pattern (on atoke bells muted on the 2nd, 3rd and 5th stroke) as being more like 1.5-1.5-1-2-2 (see notation: malwebb.com/Ewe... ). This would mean the first two strokes are duplets against the 8 pulse of the 24 cycle. In looking at the sound file of the bell (before the sax comes in), I noticed that the 4th stroke is also often quite late too, which makes it closer to the Fume Fume-ness that Ray heard.
And I think the musicians wanted to accentuate the feeling of a 6 pulse ("4 in the pulse"), so when the 8 pulse comes in at 1:59, it's more exciting. Then they go further, at 2:22, by putting duplets across the 8 pulse in the extra Axatse part (calabash/bead rattle), making it 16 against 24. And then at 5:38 the lead singer really accentuates the 6 pulse.
My Ewe friend Kofi Kunkpe confirmed that the song is indeed Ewe language (pronounced Evweh and often spelled Eʋe), from either Togo or Benin, with gospel lyrics. The sax player, "David Sax (Jesuhu)" seems to be from Benin: I've tried to contact him, via Facebook and his website, with no luck yet.
This all lead to me revisiting my (limited) studies of Ewe drumming, contacting my teacher, Chris Lesser, and his teacher, Kobla Ladzepko (which was a joy in itself). And videoing my live looping version of one of the songs of Adzohu Kadodo ( • Atsɔm do gbexo mi ya (... which was an adventure in itself!)
Interestingly, 24 beat patterns became a feature of 2020 Covid times for me: The Zoom ringtone is 24 beats and so I made a mashup:
malwebb.com/Ben...
And then Avishai Cohen made this track, also a 24, • Avishai Cohen - A Mome... , so I made a mashup of all 3, which is perhaps a little ugly... but fun!
malwebb.com/Ben...
*Yeko Ladzekpo tells me that Kadodo is now also often performed with the standard 12 beat bell of West Africa ("tin - go - gogo - go - go - go" or 2-2-1-2-2-2-1) and that the 24 beat pattern (1-2-1-2-2 x3) is referred to, by Kobla, as the "true bell" of Kadodo. Another piece from the Adzohu suite, Ago is also a 24 beat bell cycle. Check out my string quartet version of it! • Adzohu Ago for String ...
Note: This is the version of video Ray shared on Facebook. I haven't (yet) been able to find it anywhere else. A better quality version be nice!
This is awesome. This is one of the best gift from God to we Africans, we are too bless. I Love This Song Too Much
This Music, I do not understand but it arrested my Heart greatly. I do love it!
Have you read the description and followed the links therein? It may help!
🤣🤣🥰🥰🥰😘😘😘😘😘😍😍😍I just love the harmony and off count...#Benin ❤you guys ..
Best musical video I have seen and I have seen thousands. Brings tears to my eyes every single time.
Reminds me of my late dad. I lover this kind of music.
This is something else!
this is so magic
Merci pour ce son, quand je l'ecoute ca touche mon ame c'est notre culture modernisee je t'encourage a continue comment ca
Am wondering why people haven't found this song on the internet. This is magical
Fabulous, eh! Do let me know if you find out who it is, as I've not been able to.
The name is David Sax
@@ignewss7381 Yes, indeed and I've tried to contact him about it. Do you who the rest of the group is? The singers are wonderful and whoever composed/arranged it is a genius.
For three years, been trying to get the audio. Finally, I had to extract the audio from the video.
Vraiment,une source d'Inspiration Spirituelle d'Adoration.
Tous mes remerciements et encouragements pour l'Avenir.
I love my egun pple❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
❤❤❤❤🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭
Though I speak Ewe, I have to open my ears wide to hear one word.
Fantastic music. Can you extend to us invitation for some exclusive feature? listening over and over again ❤
Hi there, I'm not sure what you mean by "some exclusive feature". Do let me know. But, of course, it's not my song: I'm just a fan (albeit a rather music-nerdy one!)
My best song ever ❤❤❤
This has become my favorite
I actually can link you with the David Sax
Thank you! I would love to thanks him for this wonderful piece of music and to know his (and the group's) process of writing and recording it. My contact is on my website, malwebb.com
❤
La qualité des images de la vidéo n'est pas à hauteur du message de l'orchestre❤
@mal webb lemme know if you still need David Sax