Ci•ca’da <si•'ka•da> n., pl.,-das or –dae -
Any homopterous stout-bodied insect of the family cicadidae with large transparent wings. The male makes a loud shrill sound by vibrating a special organ on his undersurface.

O•me'•ga <o•'meg•eh> n.,
The last letter in the Greek alphabet. The end or the last.

Cicada Omega is a southern original. The music is a continuation of blues, country, gospel, R&B and rock traditions. It is an other-wordly blend of pounding rhythm, southern evangelism and electrified junk. With two drummers, a home-made upright bass, and electric guitar, mixed with the chants, screams, and preaching of a snake-handling front man, their music takes traditional music, puts it in a blender, and turns it up to the breaking point. They have been described as "southern goth" or "gospel punk," but they defy categories by reinventing musical traditions rather than simply following them.

As strange as it all may sound, it comes from the most honest of places.
It is the music of four Kentuckians who have a 15 year history. People have come and gone, band names have changed, and the music has evolved. But the root is still the same. They write songs that get you moving while telling you stories about lost souls, indians, aliens, sex, the Devil, and the mysterious, strange south. It is juke-joint music deeply rooted in blues and gospel, but also takes off into other realms. If asked for influences you would find not only John Lee Hooker, the Staples Singers, and Dr. John, but also Black Sabbath, Prince, and Hank Williams.

The group is fronted by preacher-guitarist sooth-sayer and harmonica man Reverend B.D. Winfield. With a wide vocal range and sometimes rage in his tone, he acts as a catalyst much like an auctioneer selling soul.

The drums are split and doubled. Dave Rue plays a traditional kit that keeps everything in line. And Salim Sundiata Sanchez mixes it up with latin percussion and found objects. The two combine to work like a voodoo machine producing hypnotic rhythms with endless energy and style.

The bass is played by Daniyel Hicks.
Well, that is, if you can call it a "bass." He plays an electrified oil drum upright bass. (You just have to see it to believe it.) He likes loud, dirty low tones that carry a solid rhythm in between everything.

The vocals are split between Sanchez, Hicks, and Winfield, with the Reverend taking lead. It often comes down to call and response type vocals with stomping and yelling, each member displaying his own style.

The name comes from the insect cicada.
The cicada is a loud, flying insect that lives in the south. It is a cousin to the locust mentioned in Revelations. Cicada Omega stands for that last plague. They're sort of the unruly ones bringing up the rear.

As a whole, the group gives a refreshing sound to the music of the deep south. And when you see them live, you take away an experience like you've never had, and that you'll never forget. So come prepared to shake, holler, laugh and be intoxicated, for they, "are Cicada Omega and they bring new age, old age, space age transcendental junkyard blues form the
dark and bloody ground of Kentucky."
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Cicada Omega is currently located in Portland, Oregon and plays mostly on the west coast. They have shared the stage with local and national acts such as Hillstomp, Th' Legendary Shack Shakers, Rollie Tussing, Slim Cesna's Auto Club, Oh' Death, Drunken Prayer, and Scott H. Biram.
(see links page for more.)

They are currently working on a full length album, due in summer of 2008.