Simone Porter Plays Philip Glass

"Umoja," meaning unity in Swahili and the first principle of Kwanzaa, was originally composed as a simple song for a women's choir. It conveys a sense of tribal unity through a drum circle feel, traditional call-and-response, and a memorable, repetitive melody. It was rearranged into a woodwind quintet (then for orchestra in 2020) for Coleman's GRAMMY-award-winning group, Imani Winds, to serve as an anthem celebrating the ensemble's diverse herit...