Tank and The Bangas: The Heart, The Mind, The Soul

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) —Over the years, Tarriona Ball, made name for herself in New Orleans’ poetry and music scenes. Around 2011, she formed her band, Tank and The Bangas.

Her philosophy is that successes in life should be celebrated and that “your playing small does not serve the world. As you let your light shine, you unconsciously give permission for others to do the same.”

At times, the creative prowess of her expression is limitless. One of her iconic sounds on stage, seems to be that of a child. She explains it by saying “As a kid I was imaginative. I was creative. I wrote a lot. I had a lot of magazines. I played with a lot of Barbie dolls. It gave me a big imagination to play. I’m just playing with myself and my bandmates on stage. It’s intelligent, beautiful, soulful, childlike and explorative. I love the music I make.”

At its composition, Tank and The Bangas uniquely blends spoken word, with musical vocalization. They are genre-defying, utilizing New Orleans Bounce, R&B, funk, jazz and hip-hop.

The music can move one to dance but it can also reflect on more sobering sentiments. Her 2022 song, “Black Folk” is especially potent, and was inspired by the racial tension and health disparities of black communities in America.

“It was inspired from when we were going through COVID. We saw, homelessness and needles everywhere, as well as mental health illness in our faces with no place to go. You had no choice but to see it, feel it, experience it, and write about it. I wanted to write a love letter to my people, but not just of the problems, but of the beauty and some of the ugly too. It was to reclaim our human-ship. I mean human-ship with the spelling of h u e, as in color. We made this thing and should stand in that power,” explained Tank.

The band, has been nominated for four Grammy awards. This year, they won their first Grammy for their album, “The Heart, the Mind, the Soul.

Tank’s voice is always profound, both in tone and in content. When asked what drives her, she says, “it’s just like my poem said that this girl doesn’t speak for all black girls, but if I don’t say it, who will?”

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