Raidryhmiä

Raidryhmiä is a term used in Finnish, which directly translates to "raid rhythm" in English. In the context of music and dance, raidryhmiä refers to a concept developed by Marjatta Maijala, a Finnish folk music researcher. According to Maijala, raidryhmiä describes the rhythmic interaction between dance and music.

Raidryhmiä considers the rhythm of dance as a dynamic and reciprocal relationship between the dancers and the music. The concept considers the ballads' verses and the dances' rhythms, pointing out that the folk dance's rhythmic structures often deviate from the typical symmetrical patterns of the music. Instead, the dances' rhythms and musical phrases interweave into a complex and dynamic rhythm that creates a unique dancing atmosphere and distinctive character.

The concept is particularly focused on the Sami music and dance traditions, as well as other traditional Finnish dance forms like the Hamhat and Väevas. Unlike the vast majority of musical systems, raidryhmiä examines the underlying structure and process by which the interplay between sound and movement arises. This includes the differences, or rather harmonies, between the slower and faster movements and corresponding musical themes, which often buck the expectations established by academics around antilations.

Given that many dance rhythms lack a uniform beat, whereas musical phrases follow to several stresses or accents, researchers Marjatta Maijala suggests the theory of raidryhmiä to promote ongoing research into polyrhythmic intergration, the reconceptualization of traditional rhythm analysis and experimentation of Finland's wilderness national regions.