Ari Teitel is a 3X GRAMMY-nominated musician, producer, singer and songwriter based in New Orleans. The former member of Mardi Gras Indian Funk band Cha Wa earned two nominations for Best Regional Roots Music Album during his tenure with the group, for which he served as musical director, songwriter, producer, and guitarist. Celebrated for his fluency in funk, jazz, blues, soul, r&b, gospel, rock, and more, Teitel has performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, JazzAscona in Switzerland, Ottawa Jazz Festival and Cupa Dupa in New Zealand. He has worked with Iggy Pop, PJ Morton, George Porter Jr.,Ivan Neville, Nigel Hall, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Mononeon, and many more. 

In early 2022, Teitel and six other members of Cha Wa left the band and formed The Rumble featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr., a Mardi Gras Indian funk group who performed at the New Orleans Jazz Fest that Spring. The group released their debut album in 2023, Live At The Maple Leaf, which received a GRAMMY-nomination. In late 2022, Teitel released his first solo project in five years, I Got My Thing, featuring Nigel Hall, Jamison Ross, Erica Falls, and Paul Randolph.