Umoja Trio (Flute, Oboe, and Clarinet)

Umoja is the Swahili word for “unity” and is the first day in seven in the African-American celebration of Kwanzaa. The original composition calls for unity through the tradition of call and response and was first meant to be a simple family sing-along song for Kwanzaa. It was added to the wind quintet repertoire of Imani Winds, a woodwind quintet that was created and founded by Coleman, and it soon became a signature piece of the ensemble. Today, Umoja has several versions including for band, orchestra, flute choir, flute quartet, and wind trio.