{"id":2369749,"date":"2026-04-12T15:27:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T15:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2369749"},"modified":"2026-04-12T15:27:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T15:27:00","slug":"local-love-tank-and-the-bangas-keep-new-orleans-in-their-music-essence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/local-love-tank-and-the-bangas-keep-new-orleans-in-their-music-essence\/","title":{"rendered":"Local Love: Tank And The Bangas Keep New Orleans In Their Music &#8211; Essence"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-js=\"main-content\">\n<div class=\"article__media narrow\">\n<div class=\"common-article-sec first-sec\" data-hash=\"\" data-post-id=\"1587534\">\n\t\t<!-- image --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-flex\">\n<div class=\"picture \">\n<figure class=\"hero-img\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/media.essence.com\/vxcjywbwpa\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2212183025-1200x900.jpg?width=1200 1x, https:\/\/media.essence.com\/vxcjywbwpa\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2212183025-1200x900.jpg?width=1200 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 1028px)\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/media.essence.com\/vxcjywbwpa\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2212183025-1200x900.jpg?width=800 1x, https:\/\/media.essence.com\/vxcjywbwpa\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2212183025-1200x900.jpg?width=1200 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 0px)\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/figure><figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto Credit: Photo by Erika Goldring\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article__meta\">\n<div class=\"article__meta-avatar\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g\" alt=\"\" width=\"78\" height=\"78\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n<p><!-- .meta-info --><\/p>\n<p>Tank and the Bangas have always carried New Orleans with them, no matter how far their music travels. Long before the awards and global tours, the group took shape inside the city\u2019s open mic circuit, where poetry, performance, and live instrumentation collided in real time. Lead singer <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.essence.com\/entertainment\/dee-friends-in-oz-tank\/\">Tarriona \u201cTank\u201d Ball<\/a> found her voice in those rooms, while her bandmates (which currently includes Norman Spence, Rob Kellner, T33ny, and Devin Trusclair) matched her vocal energy with their unique sound.<\/p>\n<p>After meeting at Liberation Lounge in Algiers on the West Bank of New Orleans in 2011, the group released Think Tank two years later. In 2017, their breakthrough moment came when they won NPR\u2019s Tiny Desk Contest with a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/QKzobTCIRDw?si=yTaAFo0SRgxxAgIs\">viral performance<\/a>. The win gave them increased popularity, opening the door to national attention and eventually a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 2020. Since then, the band has continued to build a catalog that blends soul, hip-hop, jazz, and poetry into something distinctly their own.<\/p>\n<p><em>Article continues after video.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tank And The Bangas: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QKzobTCIRDw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Following an often-talked about <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/-Kd7KpKdxAg?si=14ms5EJ4qXfJhW7C\">performance<\/a> at the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.essence.com\/festival\/2024-essence-festival-of-culture\/tank-and-the-bangas-efoc-2024\/\">2024 ESSENCE Festival of Culture<\/a>, Tank and the Bangas released <em>The Heart, The Mind, The Soul<\/em>, which eventually earned the group a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album. It also set the tone for what comes next, as the band prepares to close out a trilogy that began with <em>Green Balloon<\/em> and continued with <em>Red Balloon<\/em>. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/store.ververecords.com\/products\/the-last-balloon-lp?srsltid=AfmBOoqlDd6M5qzz6CughXAGByu6InYmgoncXYqk9eYWplwt8n1CbGgE\"><em>The Last Balloon<\/em><\/a> is set for release on May 15 via Verve Records. The lead single, \u201cMove,\u201d featuring Lucky Daye, has already begun circulating, signaling another step forward in their evolving sound. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankandthebangas.com\/shows\/#\/\"><em>The Last Balloon Tour<\/em><\/a> will follow, kicking off on May 2, and it takes them across major cities such as New York, D.C., Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We can\u2019t wait to see you in your city on tour and MOVE together \u2764\ufe0f\ud83d\udd25 General on sale begins today. Get your tickets on our website !!! <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fdfeq5olbp\">pic.twitter.com\/fdfeq5olbp<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Tank and The Bangas (@TankandDaBangas) <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TankandDaBangas\/status\/2037533039404757431?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 27, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Ahead of their upcoming album, Tank and the Bangas are returning to where it all started, with a stripped-down performance in New Orleans titled \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tankandthebangas\/\">Poetry on a Porch<\/a>.\u201d The pop-up event leans into the group\u2019s roots, placing Tank\u2019s voice and writing at the center while again highlighting the 504 on the global stage. The first edition of this series took place on April 11 in New Orleans, adding another layer to their ever-growing legacy.<\/p>\n<p>For Tank and the Bangas, every stage still traces back to the city that gave them their start. If you\u2019re not familiar with this award-winning collective\u2019s catalog, here are some songs to get you up to speed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>\u201cQuick\u201d (2017)<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Quick\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/track\/1XEvp87jyYo3ynqHSMmEbc?si=fdd8a16998c94d5b&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>\u201cNice Things\u201d (2019)<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Nice Things\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/track\/1maTErw83KboEn8Xyd8jNQ?si=ca88183ec82345a8&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>\u201cNo ID\u201d (2022)<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: No ID\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/track\/0uqSFWmkLNLCcElKvETogM?si=de028fb6e8e44f14&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>\u201cStolen Fruit\u201d (2022)<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Stolen Fruit\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/track\/0FjnAj8M9msF7bB1oxOhPu?si=f7d163fb4b1f44d7&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>\u201cCommunion In My Cup,\u201d ft. EARTHGANG and The Ton3s (2022)<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Communion in My Cup (feat. EARTHGANG and The Ton3s)\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/track\/3dnC3V6xzPJKx6wSMxt2iN?si=10b98badd8d24451&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>\u201cBig,\u201d ft. Big Freedia (2022)<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Big (feat. Big Freedia)\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/track\/4fbSwwrXriIxAWOLWCu4to?si=a0c481a8f95e47ee&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>\u201cMove,\u201d ft. Lucky Daye (2026)<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Move (feat. Lucky Daye)\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/track\/2TkUALJxL9NGx38AIGGquG?si=8ddd32cb69ce4233&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.essence.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photo Credit: Photo by Erika Goldring Tank and the Bangas have always carried New Orleans with them, no matter how far their music travels. Long before the awards and global tours, the group took shape inside the city\u2019s open mic circuit, where poetry, performance, and live instrumentation collided in real time. Lead singer Tarriona \u201cTank\u201d [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2369750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2369749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Local-Love-Tank-And-The-Bangas-Keep-New-Orleans-In.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2369749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2369749"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2369749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2369751,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2369749\/revisions\/2369751"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2369750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2369749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2369749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2369749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}