cha wa
A Day in the Life of…Joseph ‘Bugga’ Boudreaux Jr of Cha Wa
Once in a while, a band comes along and brings something so special you have no choice but to love it. That band is Cha Wa. Founded in 2014, they released their third album, My People, 2021, a follow-up to 2018’s Grammy-nominated Spyboy. Check out the 15-Minute Live performance they did with us in 2021 and try and tell us you’re not hooked. From brass band parades to the Mardi Gras Indian community, the sounds and culture of their native New Orleans make a vivid impression on their distinctive funk sound. Cha Wa vocalist Joseph Boudreaux Jr., a fourth-generation Mardi Gras Indian, pays tribute in traditional clothing, including stunning headdresses, one of the many elements that makes their live shows a must-see event. By blending a traditional sound with something utterly timeless, they c...
15 Minute Live Performances: Cha Wa
This week’s edition of 15 Minute Live Performances (watch our previous 15 Minute Live Performances set from rising stars UPSAHL and KANDLE) features New Orleans-based collective Cha Wa. Fronted by Joseph Boudreaux Jr. a lifelong member of the city’s Mardi Gras Indian community, the group also features members Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs and Second Line brass bands. This group Black New Orleanians pay respect to Native American tribes with their wardrobe, music and dialect. Boudreaux’s father, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, was deeply entrenched in Mardi Gras Indians, which in turn introduced Boudreaux Jr. to the New Orleans cultural phenomenon at a very young age. If you’re not familiar beyond that, you should be. Since the group was formed in 2014, group has been nominated for Best Regiona...
