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.
[9] In 2019, Joseph Boudreaux Jr., Monk's son and Second Chief of the Golden Eagles tribe, replaced his nephew J'wan as the band's lead vocalist and frontman for a short period,[10] before leaving Cha Wa along with Aurelien Barnes, Joseph Maize, Ari Teitel, Andriu Yanovski, TJ Norris and Stephen J. Gladney.
[15] Cha Wa's first album Funk 'n' Feathers was released worldwide in April 2016 on the band's own UPT Music label.
[17] Spyboy was produced by Galactic's Ben Ellman and features special guests Big Chief Monk Boudreaux (The Wild Magnolias, HBO's Treme) and Nigel Hall (Lettuce, Nth Power, and Danica Hart).
[18] On September 26, 2019, the band released "Wildman" as a single, written by former guitarist/musical director Ari Teitel and former lead vocalist J'Wan Boudreaux.
[6] The band's follow up album to their Grammy-nominated Spyboy is entitled My People and was released on April 2, 2021 on Single Lock Records.
[22] The band has garnered significant press surrounding the release, including an appearance on Good Morning America,[23] Jazz FM (UK),[24] and BBC 6.
In a review of the festival, Rolling Stone explained Cha Wa's performance as "a portable Mardi Gras dance party".
[26] That spring, the band played several shows at SXSW, including GlobalFest's official showcase at Palm Door on Sixth and the Brooklyn Bowl Family Reunion at the Historic Scoot Inn.
[33] Lincoln featured a unique Cha Wa performance of an unreleased song at the Hotel Peter and Paul for their "Chart Your Course" Campaign with Cas Haley.