In Between Suns, each movement represents a distinct solar system—an imagined space where rhythm is gravity and the West African drums serve as both traveler and guide. The solo drums and orchestra orbit a central pulse—the “sun”—with shifting gravitational forces shaping their interactions. The work explores how rhythm constructs identity, memory, and interconnection across time and space. Between Suns draws connections between musical vocabularies from traditions found in Ghana, Togo, Mali, Morocco and Senegal, woven together with instrumentation, timbres, and harmonies rooted in Western European classical music. Each of these African countries is home to multiple ethnic groups whose histories and musical practices extend across national borders. Among them are the Fontomfrom drumming traditions of the Akan people—particularly the Asante and Fante of Ghana—used in royal ceremonies and public processions; the melodic and rhythmic forms of the Dagomba from Northern Ghana; the complex polyrhythms of the Ewe from Ghana and Togo; the modal structures of Berber (Amazigh) music from Morocco; and the melodic phrasing of the Mandé peoples of Mali. While each group speaks its own language and maintains distinct cultural practices, they often share rhythmic structures and melodic approaches—creating an interconnected musical ecosystem. At times, the way a specific rhythmic phrase is emphasized or articulated can serve as a gateway into identifying which group of people the phrase originates from—a subtle yet powerful marker of cultural identity. In Between Suns, these rhythmic signatures are honored not only as musical ideas, but as living expressions of memory, place, and lineage.