Oya is a beautiful, dramatic drum song composed by world-renowned percussionist Ubaka Hill. Oya, the Yoruba goddess of storms and wind, is described as a kind soul, but she could also be aggressive when wronged. Oya is the elemental force of air in motion; the wind. It is the music moving through the branches of the trees. Oya is the signature drum song of the Minnesota/North American branch of "The Million Women's Drummers Gathering". Members of the WDC played this song to the trees at tree planting events, which they did throughout the Twin Cities for over a year.

Woka is a Ga song (from northern Ghana). It is the signature piece of Women Who Groove. The song makes fun of citizens who traveled from their villages to the “big city” and came back with affectations that the villagers found amusing. The gestures in the song mimic the haughty mannerisms of those travelers.

Kuku is a popular rhythm played at all kinds of festivals, including full moon celebrations. Kuku is a women’s dance performed in a circle. Originally, Kuku was played when the women came back from fishing. They would take their fishing tools and dance. The rhythm was only played on djembes, and one of the three was low-tuned instead of using dunun.

Mosolou is a song that celebrates family, community, and parenthood. Learned from master drummer Babara Bangoura at the Wula Drum and Dance Retreat, the rhythm has great cultural significance.

When a new baby is born a name is not immediately given. A few days to a few weeks after the birth the community is called together for a blessing ceremony starting early in the morning. The elders come together and prepare to deliver blessings to the child, the parents, the grandparents, and the village. The chief or one of the elders will take the baby and whisper the blessings into the baby’s ear and will then tell the baby its name. After that, the other elders will recognize the family members, and thank them for this new member of the community.

Babara asked that when we play the song we hold the image of parents and community in our minds – to honor the importance of each member’s contribution to the community.

Bobobo (originally "Akpese") is said to have been developed by Francis Kojo Nuatro. The dance has its roots from Wusuta and in the Highlife music popular across West African countries. Bobobo gained national recognition in the 1950s and 1960s because of its use at political rallies and the novelty of its dance formations and movements. It is generally performed at funerals and other social occasions. This is a social dance song with a great deal of room for free expression. In general, the men sing and dance in the center while the women dance in a ring around them. There are "slow" and "fast" versions of Bobobo. The slow one is called Akpese and the fast one is termed to be Bobobo.

Ubaka Hill introduced Ijexa to the WDC. Ijexa is a traditional Afro-Brazillian rhythm arranged for social playing. The Yoruba people play this song to honor Oxum, the goddess of water, love, and beauty. It is music of the "streets", for all people to participate in. Groups at the WDC have played different arrangements of this song over the years.

Kpegisu is a dance song of the Anlo Ewe people of southeastern Ghana. It is ancient music that was used as a spiritual preparation for war. Since there are no more tribal wars, it is typically reserved for special events such as funerals of royal family members, annual harvest festivals, regional and national arts festivals, or the installation of a chief.

Bembe (Nanigo) is a West African rhythm that has meshed with Cuban culture. Depending on how it is accented, the Afro-Cuban beat can be felt in 4 or 6.

It derives from the Yoruba people of West Africa where they hold bembes, which are religious ceremonies that include drumming, singing, and dancing. Here music plays an important role and the drums are treated with a high level of respect.