Debut Album Out Now
Video
Tour Dates
Newsletter Sign-Up
Sign-up for updates about what Cha Wa is doing and when they are coming to city near you!
We respect your privacy.
About
After honing their explosive sound in clubs and festivals around the Crescent City, the Mardi Gras Indian funk band Cha Wa is releasing their debut album. The recording, aptly named Funk 'n' Feathers, is their red-hot combination of two of New Orleans’ best traditions, Mardi Gras Indians and street level funk music. Funk 'n' Feathers combines deep funk, percussive polyrhythms, and a mix of singing and Mardi Gras Indian chanting. All of these elements fuse into an intoxicating, hypnotic blend of culture that could only come out of the Crescent City. “The music is based on the Mardi Gras Indians, the brass bands, and the street culture of New Orleans,” says bandleader/drummer Joe Gelini. “Cha Wa” is a slang phrase used by every Mardi Gras Indian tribe. It means “We’re comin’ for ya” - and this band is definitely comin’ for ya!
This is what PopMatters had to say about their debut album, Funk 'n' Feathers: "Cha Wa hail from New Orleans and carry on the long cherished traditions of the Mardi Gras Indians, while infusing their music with contemporary NOLA street funk... a grand gumbo of singing, chanting, intoxicating rhythms, and some deep funk grooves that are simply impossible to resist."