BY CHEVEL JOHNSON RODRIGUE
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Seven years ago, New Orleans band Tank and the Bangas squeezed into the corner of a classroom and recorded themselves performing their song “Quick,” for National Public Radio’s Tiny Desk contest, the nonprofit’s annual search for the “next great undiscovered artist.”
Their video — a lively mix of funk, soul, hip-hop and spoken word — wowed NPR’s judges and won them an appearance on NPR’s popular, stripped-down Tiny Desk series, helping grow their loyal fanbase. A 2020 Grammy nomination for “Best New Artist,” followed, as did 2023 and 2024 Grammy nominations for “Best Progressive R&B Album” and “Best Global Music Performance,” respectively.
On Sunday, Tank and the Bangas will return to their home city for one of their biggest performances yet: the main stage of the Essence Festival of Culture, the world’s largest celebration of Black women, culture and communities.
The group
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