Sing “Malembe”

• 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”

Learn About Rhythm in “Malembe”

• Introduce steady beat: 
  • The steady pulse you feel in music is called steady beat. The steady beat is like the heartbeat inthe music.
  • What other things besides your heartbeat and music have a 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. Listen to “Malembe,” Track 2.11, while patting and counting the steady beat rhythm.
  • 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.

Explore Tambores Culoepuya

• 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.

Dance and Movement at the Festival of San Juan

• 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.

Musical Word Wall

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

See Glossary →

PDF Downloads

Audio Tracks

Track 2.11 “Malembe” Song

Track 2.12 “Malembe” Coro Melody

Track 2.13 Small Culoepuya Demo

Track 2.15 Large Culoepuya Demo