"Hiawatha's Wedding Feast" is actually a cantata composed by the British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, who was of African descent. The cantata tells the story of the legendary Native American leader Hiawatha and his marriage to Minnehaha. It premiered in England in 1898 and was very well-received, becoming one of Coleridge-Taylor's most famous works.

Coleridge-Taylor was a prominent figure in the British classical music scene during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He faced racial discrimination throughout his life but was able to achieve great success as a composer, known for incorporating African and African American musical elements into his works. Today, he is remembered as a trailblazer for Black musicians and composers and a key figure in the history of classical music.