Mardi Gras Grooves

Cha Wa MY PEOPLE

Blending funk, blasting horns, and pulsing Afrobeat, out this March, is as vibrant as a Fat Tuesday jaunt through the Garden District. Fronted by Joseph Boudreaux Jr., Cha Wa showcases the traditions of Mardi Gras Indians, mostly Black community members known for their music, dialect, and legendary costumes and headdresses that explode in a rainbow of colors. The title track is an instant parade classic, with a shout-along chorus, and the band’s energy is relentless throughout. It will make you yearn for the Big Easy’s smoldering streets.—M.H.