THE GUENMILERE

The festivities are not over after the oru del eya aranla. An unstructured series of chants and drumming dedicated to various Orishas follows it. These pieces can be requested by those present, begun by the the lead singer, or the drummers. They are, generally, repetitions of the formal "greetings" already made to the Orishas.

The drumming goes on much longer than in the orus, since the purpose now is not to salute the Orishas, but to call them so that they "come down" and possess those present. The rhythms are more insistent. The accelerated repetitions are meant to cause a hypnotic trance state in which "the saint will get hot" and "come down" taking possession of the devotees.

Each of these rhythms is usually accompanied by the percussion of the agogo, a small cow bell or iron hoe struck with a large nail, and the achere, a gourd within a network of beads (chekere). Typical patterns are:

|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 &|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 &|
|X       X       X   X  |    X       X       X  |

and

|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &|
|X     X       X|    X   X      |

The Orishas can "come down" and possess their followers during the oru, and this happens quite often. But, it is more common for the possessions to take place during this informal segment. When possessions occur, the Orisha is dressed and treated the same as during the formal oru.

Some of the most popular rhythms for this section are:

BAYUBA

Repeat as desired

|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 &|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 &|
|S           S          |S           S          |l okon.
|        O           O  |        O           O  |r

|      S           S    |      S           S    |l itot.
|            O          |            O   O   O  |r

|S           S          |S           S   S   S  |l iya
|O   O   O       O   O  |O   O   O              |r

EBIPKAMI

Repeat as desired

|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 &|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 &|
|      S           S    |      S           S    |l okon.
|O     O     O          |O     O     O          |r

|    S       S       S  |    S       S       S  |l itot.
|O       O       O      |O       O       O      |r

|      S     S          |S                   S  |l iya
|                    O  |      O                |r

YAKOTA

Repeat as desired

|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 &|
|S           S          |l okon.
|        O           O  |r

|      S           S    |l itot.
|O           M          |r

|S   S       S   S      |l iya
|                O   O  |r

BIOBAYARE

Repeat as desired

|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &|
|S       S      |l okon.
|      O       O|r 

|    S       S  |l itot.
|O       M      |r 

|S       S      |l iya
|    O O     O  |r 

BEMBE

repeat as desired

|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &|
|S       S      |S       S      |l okon.
|      O       O|      O       O|r

|    S       S  |    S       S  |l itot.
|O       M      |O       M      |r 

|S       S      |S       S   S  |l iya
|    O O     O O|    O O        |r 

IDILANTILANTI

Repeat as desired

|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 &|
|S           S          |l okon.
|        O           O  |r

|      S           S    |l itot.
|O           M          |r 

|            S          |l iya
|O     O O O       O    |r 

The songs already performed, or new songs from the vast repertory, are sung to these new rhythms. It's up to the akpua.

Generally, a single Orisha "comes down" and possesses one or more of those present. If there is more than one person possessed, each one dances separately with a few friends and devotees. Sometimes two Orishas "come down" and dance together, which is the case with Yemaya and Ochun. Chango and Ochun will do a very voluptuous dance together. If Chango and Oggun "come down" together, they must be separated or they will fight.