Today, two-time GRAMMY nominated New Orleans-based, Afro-Indigenous funk collective Cha Wa released their new single “Music Is My Medicine,” a feel-good funk cousin of Sly and the Family Stone with a message as universal as its sound is uplifting. The track is the second to be shared from their new album Rise Up, out on August 29, the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
Watch the “Music Is My Medicine” music video
“‘Music is my Medicine’ tells the story of my recovery from drug and alcohol addiction,” says Cha Wa bandleader Joe Gelini. “It speaks to how easily we turn to substances to numb pain. But for me, and for so many, music is the real medicine. Whether you’re playing it, writing it, or just listening, music can heal not just personal wounds, but collective ones too, like what New Orleans experienced after Katrina. Music transcends cultural, religious, and racial boundaries, and if we truly embraced its healing potential, it would be a meaningful alternative to substance abuse, improving both individual lives and communities."
Today we hide in plain sight / All on Mardi Gras / We dawn our suits at first light / Our tribe got killer ways.
Today we shout our truth loud / It should be everyday / We make our ancestors proud / Now we’re here to say / We’re gonna rise up
— “Rise Up”
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”, that finds the accomplished band coming into its own to make their most mature and accessible album yet. 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.
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 (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).
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
August 9 – New Orleans, LA – Net Roots Nation Festival
September 6 – Boise, ID – World Village Festival
September 20 – Paris, FR – NOLA Jazz Museum Festival
