“Songbird Of New Orleans” Robin Barnes Enlists Big Freedia, Hasizzle And Kings Of Brass On “Hey Na (Iko Iko)”
ICONIC NEW ORLEANS SONG RE-IMAGINED AS MARDI GRAS ANTHEM OUT TODAY
Press materials and hi res images are available here.
Stream “Hey Na (Iko Iko)” here.
Robin Barnes, "The Songbird of New Orleans” enlisted GRAMMY-Award winning New Orleans bounce artist Big Freedia along with fellow native bounce rapper HaSizzle and the Kings of Brass in "Hey Na (Iko Iko),” a 2025 update to the iconic song made famous by The Dixie Cups, out today here. The first song to be revealed from an upcoming genre-spanning album celebrating Barnes’s home state of Louisiana, the track is exactly what the world could use at this moment and something that only New Orleans can provide -- a 2 minute, 46 second song of celebration-- a Mardi Gras party.
“When it comes to New Orleans music, we are family,” says New Orleans music legend Big Freedia. “Robin's been a staple on our city's music scene and a friend for a long time. When she asked me if I’d get on the track, I was like ‘You already know!’”
“I love Mardi Gras because it embodies everything I cherish about being a New Orleanian—our unique ability to celebrate life,” says Barnes, who is on the cover of the February issue of the city’s St. Charles Avenue magazine. “And that’s just what this new version of “Hey Na” is; a celebration of life in its most vibrant and beautiful form. While the rest of the world is stuck in winter, we’re out together embracing music, culture, and the joy of being alive. There’s nothing like the energy and intensity of a marching band as the music fills the air—the colors, the rhythm, the magic. I wanted to share that joy with the world.”
Barnes, who NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune enlisted to host a docuseries on the “Making of Super Bowl LIX,” will share that energy with crowds from around the world this weekend as the NFL descends upon the city. On Thursday, she’ll perform with husband/guitarist Pat Casey as “Da Lovebirds” at The Peacock Room, and on Game Day she’ll perform live in the Dome “On The Fifty” as part of an exclusive ticket package experience from On Location and Catch 504. Just ahead of Mardi Gras weekend, Barnes will join The Royal Sonesta New Orleans and its 55th Annual Greasing of the Poles as their emcee, in addition to kicking off the festivities with a special performance. Considered by many to be the French Quarter’s official kickoff to Mardi Gras weekend, The Royal Sonesta New Orleans originated the ritual of Greasing the Poles as a practical means to deter overzealous revelers from shimmying up to the hotel's coveted balcony space. Over half a century later, the practice has evolved into a star-studded and music-filled event. This spring, Barnes will once again perform as part of the lineup of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. For up-to-the-minute information, visit https://robinbarnesmusic.com/.
About Robin Barnes:
A Crescent City native from the famed Lower Ninth Ward, Robin Barnes is New Orleans. Barnes, declared “The Songbird of New Orleans,” in an official proclamation by a past New Orleans mayor, has throughout her career brought the sounds of the city to a global audience.
Barnes first broke through in the jazz world: her 2016 EP Songbird Sessions debuted at #5 on Billboard’s Traditional Jazz Chart. She’s opened for GRAMMY-winning trumpeter Chris Botti and the jazz duo Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Maratinez, the former of whom studied under the iconic Quincy Jones. Barnes, named by NOLA Adore as one of their “Most Influential New Orleanians,” even brought New Orleans to India at MTV India’s Music Summit in 2018.
More recently, Barnes has broadened her sound to incorporate more of the musical DNA of Louisiana, spanning funk and bounce and zydeco. In the last two years, she’s performed on episodes of “Queer As Folk” and “Daisy Jones & The Six.” This May, Barnes will perform at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Looking ahead, Barnes is at work on her debut album that will honor her native Louisiana roots, spanning the diverse genres native to the state’s culture. Last year, the Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana certified her as a “Louisiana State Ambassador,” a title she shares with GRAMMY winners Lainey Wilson and Lauren Daigle.
Barnes’ New Orleans identity runs deep: after suffering a health scare following a summer tour, she created “Move Ya Brass,” a fitness community and lifestyle group drawing on the city’s own culture to inspire physical movement. The organization’s “Twerk Ya Brass” class debuted at Bonnaroo in 2019 and continues to be a favorite among NOLA locals and visitors alike.
About Big Freedia:
Known as the larger-than-life ambassador of New Orleans Bounce music, Big Freedia is a nationally recognized hip-hop artist, TV personality and cultural influencer. Most recently she made headline news for her feature on Beyoncé’s Grammy-Award winning single, “Break My Soul,” released in 2022.
Big Freedia is known for her infectious energy and personality. In 2019, she was the official host for the Met Gala IG Live Stream Red Carpet event and a host of 2021’s Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve TV celebration. Known by her fans as the “Queen Diva,” Big Freedia is a loud and proud advocate for racial and gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights.
In 2021, Big Freedia was honored as one of Ebony’s Power 100 and she has appeared on Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, NPR, The Breakfast Club, The Problem with Jon Stewart, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Real. Her critically acclaimed 2015 memoir, God Save the Queen Diva (Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster) was released in paperback in 2020.
CONNECT WITH ROBIN BARNES: