Funk is in the house, ya’ll! Cha Wa is Mardi Gras Indian slang for, “We’re coming for you!” Funk is the mission of this New Orleans band. They’re riding high on their first album, Funk ‘n’ Feathers, a record that captures the gritty funk sound that melds with the Crescent City Mardi Gras Indian traditions. Produced by Galactic’s Ben Ellman, the record crackles with street energy and raise-the-roof heat. Cha Wa is lead by Honey Banister, Big Chief of the Creole Wild West tribe, and by drummer and Berklee College of Music graduate Joe Gelini. Gelini, after moving to New Orleans, was enchanted by the music and traditions of the Mardi Gras Indians and dove in head-first. “It's a spiritual thing. It's more than the music.” NOLA Indian culture was once underground but is now a proud and very visible aspect of New Orleans ritual. Huge, beautiful feather crowns, polyrhythmic grooves, chanting and singing mark the look and sound of the tribes. And yes, they are coming for you!
Cha Wa Mardi Gras Indian Band
