Cha Wa Stands Strong After the Flood
Cha Wa is a traditional Mardi Gras Indians greeting in New Orleans that means “here we come” or “we’re comin’ for ya.” Appropriately, a hearty shout of “CHA WA!” is the first thing I hear out of “Spyboy” Irving “Honey” Banister Jr.’s mouth when he and two of his bandmates appear on my Zoom screen. “Here We Come” is also the title of the infectious opening track on Rise Up, the fourth album by their New Orleans funk ensemble, Cha Wa.