Bamboula 2000

Bamboula 2000 is deeply rooted in the soul of Congo Square in New Orleans. This exciting music and dance experience formed 20 years ago in 1994 has become beloved in New Orleans and beyond. Bamboula 2000’s music is influenced by New Orleans, the Caribbean and Africa. The group has won the prestigious Big Easy Award for Best World Music group three times and has been nominated 8 times. In addition, Bamboula 2000 reaches thousands of children annually through their Imagination Tour dance and drum workshops. Shane T. Lief, from Tulane University, wrote his Master’s Thesis, titled “Staging New Orleans: The Contested Space of Congo Square”. He refers to Bamboula 2000 performances as “explicitly organized to help people perceive the connections between themselves and the cultural traditions of the African Diaspora. The aggregate effect of these performances is the creation of a ‘sonic home’ for the participants, a percussive engine of identity which is simultaneously rooted and mobile”. The group has released five compact discs, Cultural Warrior (1996), New Society (2000), Live at 2009 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (2008) on MunckMusic, We Got It Goin’ On! (2010) & Bamboula’s 20th Anniversary disc “The Wild Bamboulas” 2014. On YouTube, Bamboula has over 30 videos of performances at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, The French Quarter Festival, the Ashe’ Cultural Arts Center and in Congo Square. Members of Bamboula have appeared in HBO’s Treme’, TNT’s Memphis Beat and American Horror Stories. World music percussionist, Luther Gray, leads the group. He has performed all over the world with Bamboula 2000 and The Guardians of the Flame Mardi Gras Indians. A major achievement for Luther is his co-writing credits and performance on the title song of Trout Fishing in America’s Grammy nominated 2008 CD, “Big Round World”! In 2009 Luther received the prestigious 2009 Community Arts Award from the Arts Council of New Orleans, the Asante Award. & in 2014, A Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Conference of Artists. In addition to his musical endeavors he also formed the Congo Square Preservation Society with Bamboula Queen, Jamilah Peters-Muhammad in 1989. The Society is responsible for placing Congo Square on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 and has played a part in all of the major improvements in Congo Square since 1989. Bamboula 2000 consists of: Luther Gray – Producer, songwriter, percussions, kalimba & vocals Cameron Woods – Producer, songwriter, engineer & drums Cheryl Woods – Producer, songwriter, Lead Singer, & Bass Drena Clay – Soulful Lead vocalist, songwriter Eric Hornsby –Versatile keyboardist & songwriter Jeremy Thomas – Trumpet, Producer, Composer Clark Richardson - Dun-Dun drums and percussion Bamboula Queens Jamilah Peters-Muhammad – Choreographer, teacher & Dancer Kai Knight – Choreographer, teacher & Dancer The Bamboula Warrior - Torrence Taylor – Dancer, teacher Bamboula 2000 is a musical force that combines dance and sound like no other group in New Orleans! The influences of Bamboula spans three hundred years of Congo Square history and culture yet continues to innovate in the 21st century. Bamboula 2000 is an exciting music and dance experience rooted in historic Congo Square located in New Orleans.