“Malembe” is a song from the northern coast of Venezuela, performed annually during the Festival of San Juan. The Festival originated as a celebration for enslaved people and was later adopted by the Catholic Church to honor the birth of Saint John the Baptist. Today, Afro Venezuelan people all over the world celebrate the San Juan Festival, which coincides with the summer solstice, dressing in red while singing and dancing traditional songs with African origin. 

  • Listen to “Malembe,” Track 2.11.
    • Raise your hand each time you hear the coro, the repeated chant.
  • Explain that the coro in “Malembe” is a vocable, a melody sung without words. Learn the melody of the coro using Track 2.12.
  • Once memorized, have students try different vocables while singing the melody:
    • Eeeeeeee ahhhhhhh (original)
    • Oooooooh eeeeeeee
    • Laaaaaaa chaaaaaaa
    • Boooooo baaaaaaa 

Listen to “Malembe,” Track 2.11, again and have students try their vocable variations during the coro.

“Malembe”

[original lyrics]

Hay malembe malembe

malembe no ma

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

(x2)

San Juan guaricongo 

cabeza pela

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

Lelelela

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

(x2)

Hay san Juan guaricongo

cabeza pela

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

Si san Juan supiera

cual fuera su dia

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

(x2)

Del cielo bajara 

con gran alegría

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

Lelelele la

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

(x2)

Hay san Juan guaricongo

cabeza pela

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

El año que viene

te vuelvo a cantar

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

El año que viene 

te vuelvo a bailar

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

Lelelele la

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

Hay adiós Tacarigua*

y adiós Mamporal**

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

*A city in Trinidad and Tobago

**A city in Northern Venezuela, near Caracas

There is rhythm, rhythm

Rhythm, nothing else

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

(x2)

It’s San Juan from Africa

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

Lelelela

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

(x2)

It’s San Juan from Africa

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

If San Juan knew  

this would be his day

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

(x2)

From the sky, he would come down  

with great joy

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

Lelelele la

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

(x2)

It’s San Juan from Africa

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

Next year  

I will sing to you again

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

Next year  

I will dance for you again

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

Lelelele la

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

Goodbye Tacarigua  

and goodbye Mamporal

Coro: eeeeee aaaaaaaa

  • Introduce steady beat: 
  • Practice patting your lap while counting to 4: 1-2-3-4 and ask students to repeat. Once students are comfortable with this concept, invite students to be the “leader.” 
  • Change the tempo (speed) of pats and where on the body to tap the beats to mix it up. Remind students that as they change tempos to keep the beat steady. 
  • Listen to Malembe,” Track 2.11, while patting and counting the steady beat.
    • Do you hear the rhythm in “Malembe”? Is it the same or different from the rhythm we were clapping? 
  • Explain that there are different types of rhythms used in Afro Venezuelan music. Listen to “Malembe” again and try to clap along to the guiding rhythm of the song.
  • Culoepuya are a set of three long drums used in processions, celebrations, and festivals like the San Juan Festival. They are perfect for carrying around during the Festival because they are lightweight!
  • Culoepuya drums are always used together as a set of three. There is a small, medium, and large culoepuya, each with a different sound quality. Using Tracks 2.13-2.15, listen to each culoepuya while making the diameter (small, medium, large) with your hands.
  • For a demonstration of the culoepuya tambores, watch Jeickov’s video at musicalexplorers.savannahmusicfestival.org.
  • Sangueo is a social dance that’s meant to be danced in a community setting with lots of people, perhaps even strangers, joining in. The dance is fast paced, matching the rhythm of the tambores, but simple so lots of people can learn quickly. 
  • The sangueo celebrates the Festival of San Juan through foot movement.
  • Start by practicing the foot movement, which involves shifting weight from one foot to the other very quickly. Practice the step slowly at first, then get faster.
  • Once you understand the basic step, you can add turns, turning around yourself or a partner. You can also make up arm and hip motions in response to a partner or the crowd.
  • Listen to “Malembe,” Track 2.11, while practicing the sangueo movement. Incorporate red flags or handkerchieves into movement for students to embody the festival experience.
  • Watch a demonstration video of sangueo dancing at savannahmusicfestival.musicalexplorers.org.

 Add the words rhythm, sangueo, tambores culoepuya, and vocable to the Musical Word Wall.

See Glossary

  • Explore the San Juan Festival
    • Traditional dress
    • Red flags/handkerchiefs
    • Decorations (flower, statue of Saint John as a young boy in a tiny wooden carriage)
    • Street food (arepas)
  • Compose Your Own Festival Rhythm
    • Rhythms are used at the Festival of San Juan to bring the crowd together. Create your own Festival rhythm by choosing three different sounds and layering them together. You can use classroom instruments, found objects, or your body.