CHA WA – Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

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.” Frontman Joseph Boudreaux Jr. is known for dressing in traditional Mardi Gras Indian clothing during performances, including intricately designed headdresses.

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. Cha Wa was nominated in several categories at the 2019 OffBeat Best of the Beat Awards, and in 2021, the band took home an award for 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.

The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music’s Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It’s the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space.

Bob Boilen | October 18, 2021 Gathered at Preservation Hall in New Orleans, a hallowed space for Black American music, Cha Wa’s set begins with hand-clapped rhythms and light percussion – then, a burst of horns gives way to “My People,” a song that zeroes in on the disparities between the haves and the have-nots:

“Rich people living in paradise Poor people under the bridge at night, oh yeah Most people know what it takes to survive But my people know how to do it and thrive.”

Cha Wa celebrates Black culture through the medium of rhythm, while also punctuating cultural differences with the hope of opening up the eyes and ears of those ignorant of, or ignoring, those differences. Decked out in a brilliant green feathered “Indian suit,” Joseph Boudreaux Jr. celebrates the roots of Mardi Gras Indian culture.

The concert, filmed during the pandemic, was a challenge for a band so used to the stomping feet and smiling faces of a sweaty New Orleans nightclub. It’s something they thrive on – an audience can give as much energy as it receives, after all – so performing in front of a camera crew without that same energy was a challenge. All that said, the spirit and message of these songs, from their new album My People, come through loud and clear for a not-so Tiny crowd.

SET LIST “My People” “Bow Down” “Morning Glory” “Wildman”

MUSICIANS Joseph Boudreaux Jr: lead vocals Aurélien Barnes: trumpet, vocals Joe Gelini: drums Stephen Gladney: saxophone, vocals Joseph Maize: trombone, vocals Alexey Marti: percussion TJ Norris: bass, vocals Ari Teitel: guitar, vocals Andriu Yanovski: piano, vocals

CREDITS Video: New Niveau Productions Audio: Justin Armstrong, Adam Keil, Chris Finney Video Editing: Tony Broussard Piano Tuning: Dave Doremus Special thanks: The Golden Eagle Mardi Gras Indian Tribe, Ron Rona & Preservation Hall, Single Lock Records

TINY DESK TEAM Producer: Bob Boilen Video Producer: Maia Stern Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin Tiny Production Team: Bobby Carter, Kara Frame, Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis Executive Producer: Keith Jenkins Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann New apartment / old one

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