“A grand gumbo of singing, chanting, intoxicating rhythms, & some deep funk grooves that are simply impossible to resist” – PopMatters

From the funk-laced beats and bass-heavy sousaphone blasts, you don’t need a firm understanding of Mardi Gras Indigenous or brass band culture to feel the dance-ready vibrations of Cha Wa’s new music.   Cha Wa is a Grammy-nominated, 7-piece Mardi Gras funk band based out of New Orleans. The name Cha Wa is a slang phrase used by Mardi Gras Indigenous tribes, meaning “we’re comin’ for ya” or “here we come.” My People, the band’s follow up to their Grammy-nominated album Spyboy, was also recently nominated for a 2022 Grammy for “Best Regional Roots Music Album.” With singer J’Wan Boudreaux and drummer/founder, Joe Gelini, the album is a distillation of generations of New Orleans Indigenous and African expression. Not only does Cha Wa’s music reflect their culture; there’s also a more serious, social message at work in their music, for example the song “Visible Means Of Support” is about some band members experience with the ‘50s-era Jim Crow vagrancy law used primarily to arrest African-American men. But it also never fails to remind us how hard-won that joy was and still is: not least in the funky title track, with its declaration, “My people, we’re still here.” Catch Cha Wa’s TD JazzFest explosive debut this year on the outdoor stage at Bullen Park!

Twin Bill with Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio