New Orleans-based funk-soul collective Tank And The Bangas have been announced as winners of the 2017 NPR Tiny Desk contest. The band's entry video, which NPR Music described as showcasing "undeniable, joyful energy," was selected out of 1,000 entries by a judge panel that included GRAMMY winners Anthony Hamilton and Miguel. As the contest winners, they will play their own Tiny Desk Concert installment at NPR's headquarters in Washington, D.C., and appear on an NPR-branded tour.
Prior to winning this contest, Tank And The Bangas participated in a GRAMMY Pro Buzzin' series installment at the 2016 Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. The group performed two songs, "Rollercoasters" and "Boxes And Squares," tracks from their 2013 album, Think Tank.
"[Our sound] is a mix of spoken word, poetry, folk music, soul music, a little rock, gospel interludes, and reggae," lead vocalist Tarriona "Tank" Ball told GRAMMY Pro during an interview. "We love so much music and we never felt like we should not do what we loved."
Formed at an open mic in 2011, Tank And The Bangas include members Ball, Albert Allenback (alto sax, flute), Merell Burkett (keyboards), Joshua Johnson (musical director, drummer), and Norman Spence (keyboards, bass). The band is currently performing select tour dates in New Orleans through May.
