Cha Wa | |
|---|---|
| Origin | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Funk, Second Line, Jam Band |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Members | Joe Gelini (drum kit) Honey Banister (vocals) Tajh Derosier (saxophone and vocals) Rik Fletcher (keys) Trevor Nathan (guitar) Wes Anderson (trombone) Marlon Jordan (trumpet) Syrajh Hamilton (vocals) |
| Past members | Thaddeus "Peanut" Ramsey (vocals) Devon Taylor (tuba) Spyboy Kevin Wallace (vocals) Sam Dickey (guitar) Raja Kassis (guitar) Haruka Kikuchi (trombone) Eric "Bogey" Gordon (trumpet) Edward "Juicey" Jackson (trombone) Clifton "Spug" Smith (tuba) Isaac Eady (bass guitar) Ari Teitel (guitar) Joseph "José" Maize (trombone) Andrew "Andriu" Yanovski (keyboard) Aurélien Barnes (trumpet) Spyboy J’Wan Boudreaux (vocals) Second Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. (vocals) TJ Norris (bass guitar) Stephen Gladney (tenor saxophone) Chris Cotton (trumpet) Seizo Shibayama (guitar) Desmond Provost (tuba) |
| Website | chawaband |
Cha Wa is a Grammy-nominated Mardi Gras Indian funk band based out of New Orleans, Louisiana. The name Cha Wa is a slang phrase used by Mardi Gras Indian tribes, meaning "we're comin' for ya" or "here we come."[1] Frontman Honey Bannister is known for dressing in traditional Mardi Gras Indian clothing during performances, including intricately designed headdresses.[2]
Cha Wa has released three albums, Funk n Feathers in 2016, Spyboy in 2018, and My People in 2021. In 2018, Spyboy received critical acclaim and was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Regional Roots Music Album category, and My People received a nomination in the same category in 2021.[3][4] Cha Wa was nominated in several categories at the 2019 OffBeat Best of the Beat Awards,[5] and in 2021, the band took home an awardfor Best Music Video at Offbeat's Best of the Beat Awards for Visible Means of Support (No Justice, No Peace Remix), filmed by Jonathan Isaac Jackson.[6]