Circles and Time

Abstract

Much of African music is circular. This circular concept of time ultimately defines a structural set. The set represents a structural module from which the entire performance is derived. The performance consists of a steady ostinato framework of multi-concentric rhythms on which various manipulations of the set are realized by a leader (e.g., a lead drummer). It is in these complex structural manipulations (against a background of a steady ostinato referent) that Africa finds its finest rhythmic qualities. The paper focuses on two principal elements. It discusses the properties of the rhythmic set, and it demonstrates its various modes of performance and analytical applications.