(MPG) Two-time GRAMMY nominated New Orleans-based, Afro-Indigenous funk collective Cha Wa released their highly anticipated album, Rise Up. Shared on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the album 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.
Following up 2021's GRAMMY nominated My People, Cha Wa's upcoming fourth album Rise Up is a tour de force of original R&B funk anthems, such as the lead single "Here We Come"; "Music Is My Medicine," the feel-good funk cousin of Sly and the Family Stone with a message as universal as its sound is uplifting; and "Why You Wanna Do Me Like That", an Irma Thomas featured heavy hitter premiered by Relix who raved, "Like the spirit of the band, the track embodies cultural preservation and celebration, and the resilience of New Orleans."
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 Boutte (HBO's Treme'), 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). In a true testament to their dedication to making this album their most mature, most accessible and most culturally important album yet, the band has even gone through extensive overdubs down to the week of release.
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.
Listen to Rise Up here
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