Hey Mama was a contemporary rock band from
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston ...
.
History
The band Hey Mama stemmed from the
folk-rock duo
Avi & Celia. Avi Salloway and Celia Woodsmith teamed up Ben Kogan and Jared Seabrook to form Hey Mama in January 2009. The debut album, ''Hey Mama'', was released on December 1, 2009. ''Hey Mama'' was recorded with
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
nominated producer Jack Gauthier. The
record also featured guest appearances from The Tecumseh Strings, a chamber group of
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
string players.
Hey Mama was known for their high-energy performances. The electrified sound blends new and old with Woodsmith's wailing on the
washboard.
The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
calls it, "Sexy roots swagger with populist fire." The band has played over 400 shows throughout the United States and Canada, building a loyal fan base and has received praise from ''
Yankee
The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Its various senses depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, residents of the Northern United S ...
'', ''
the Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'', and ''
NHPR''.
Hey Mama has played several concerts supporting
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...
,
Leon Russell and
Big Brother and the Holding Company
Big Brother and the Holding Company is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the same psychedelic music scene that produced the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Jefferson Airplane. After som ...
.
Former members
* Avi Salloway
*
Celia Woodsmith
Celia Woodsmith (born in 1985 in Tryon, North Carolina) is a New England–based bluegrass music, bluegrass, blues and folk musician.
Profile
Since January 2011, Woodsmith, has been the lead singer, rhythm guitar player, washbaord player, and ...
* Jared Seabrook
* Paul Chase
* Ben Kogan, 2009
Instrumentation
* Avi Salloway; Acoustic Guitar and Electric guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
* Celia Woodsmith; Vocals, Acoustic Guitar,
Washboard
* Jared Seabrook; Drums
* Paul Chase; Electric Bass and Double Bass
Discography
* ''Hey Mama'' (2009)
* ''Let It Rise'' (2008)
* ''Off the Floor'' (2007)
External links
The Boston GlobeSeven Days VTYankee MagazineState of Mind MagazinepH BalancedTea Party BostonWERS, Emerson College
External links
Official Website
Myspace
American blues rock musical groups
American folk rock groups
Musical groups from Massachusetts
{{US-rock-band-stub