Two-time GRAMMY nominated New Orleans-based, Afro-Indigenous funk collective Cha Wa announced Friday, June 20 the release of their new album Rise Up, out on August 29, the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Following up 2021’s GRAMMY nominated My People, the band’s upcoming fourth album is a tour de force of original R&B funk anthems that finds the accomplished band coming into its own to make their most mature and accessible album yet. Alongside the announcement, Cha Wa shares lead single “Here We Come,” a funk powerhouse whose title is the English translation of “Cha Wa” in Mardi Gras Indian slang.
“This song was written to pay homage to the citizens of New Orleans, particularly the Mardi Gras Indian Tribes and Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs that organize Second Line Parades, and the renowned High School Marching Bands that practice in the back streets across the city,” musical director and drummer Joe Gelini explains. “We aimed to create a blend of the infectious, syncopated rhythms of the Mardi Gras Indian tambourine players with the marching band sousaphones. It’s a groove that makes you want to tap your feet, bob your head, and have a look on your face like you smelled something funky. The vocals are dominated by the legendary Spyboy Honey Banister’s rhymed lyrics, recounting the story of masking Indians for fifty years. Spitting this much fire, we believe he’ll continue to tell the story of his ancestors with bravado for another fifty years.”
Rise Up centers around themes of rebirth and freedom, and reflects both Mardi Gras Indian culture and the rich New Orleanian culture that fostered it. This album tells real stories of New Orleans and its people, capturing everything from the clarion call of social justice movements to personal journeys of freedom whether from addiction, mental health struggles, betrayal, or the pursuit of redemption.
Beyond its cultural significance, the album features a jaw-dropping array of talent including guest appearances by “The Soul Queen of New Orleans” Irma Thomas, John Boutté and guest keyboards by Roger Joseph Manning (Beck, Jay-Z), as well as stellar songwriting led by founding musical director and drummer Joe Gelini. The album was produced, mixed and mastered by Dave Trumfio (Wilco, Jesus and Mary Chain, My Morning Jacket, Built to Spill).
Rise Up’s crowning achievement is how its 11 tracks compellingly draw on Cha Wa’s foundation as New Orleans musical royalty, through the band’s enigmatic Mardi Gras Indian frontman, “Spyboy” Irving “Honey” Banister Jr. of the Golden Sioux Tribe. Through its range of songs, the album elevates its singers to frontmen and its musicians to compelling songwriters in their own right, and in the process brings New Orleans roots music to the world stage.
Founded in 2014 by Connecticut-born drummer Joe Gelini, who was inspired to move to New Orleans after studying with the legendary Idris Muhammad, the band is the product of Gelini’s deep immersion into the city’s historic culture. Mixing traditional songs with reverent nods to New Orleans legends The Meters, Neville Brothers and Dr. John, the band has released three albums: Funk n Feathers (2016), Spyboy (2018), and My People (2021). The latter two earned Grammy nominations for Best Regional Roots Album. The band also delivered a rapturous NPR Tiny Desk performance during the pandemic at Preservation Hall in full Mardi Gras Indian regalia, wearing their hand-woven technicolor suits. With their fourth album on the way, Rise Up is the sound of a band that’s paid its dues coming into its own to make an album as compelling as the culture it represents.
In support of the new album, Cha Wa has a number of festival appearances lined up for the Summer. See full list of tour dates below.
Rise Up Tracklist:
-
Here We Come
-
Music Is My Medicine
-
Why You Wanna Do Me Like That
-
Elijah Rock
-
Freedom Of The City
-
Heavy Is The Head
-
Fallen Soldiers
-
Hear The Sound
-
Revival
-
Rise Up
-
Won’t Bow Down
Tour Dates:
July 24 – Floyd, VA – FloydFest
July 26 – Macon, GA – Bragg Jam Concert Crawl
July 30 – Reno, NV – Artown 2025
July 31 – Phoenix, AZ – Musical Instrument Museum
August 3 – Kaslo, BC – Kaslo Jazz Festival
For more information, click here.
