Composed Chaos...

Few bands in any city have ever truly stunned me with their live performance. At the top of that short list are G. Love and Special Sauce, Atom and his Package and, surprisingly, Weezer. Last April I had the good fortune to hear Umoja Orchestra and witness their beautifully chaotic, yet carefuly orchestrated jams. It was a benefit concert for the University of Florida Music and Entertainment Industry Student Association at 1982.

As the eight-plus member band took the stage I was anxious that they might have a "too many cooks in the kitchen" complex. Within a few bars it was clear that there would be no such problem. With their variety of instruments and the mixture of funk, jazz, salsa and high-energy dancing, they have one of the most unique sounds in Gainesville. Tonight, Friday Sept. 15, Umoja Orchestra will be playing at 8 p.m. at 1982.

On Sept. 17 they will be playing at Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg, Fla. as part of Musica Fresca, a national tour promoting similar Latin fusion bands.