Charming Hostess, an American band originating from Oakland, California, was founded in 1999 out of the avant-rock scene. The group initially emerged as Charming Hostess Big Band, blending women's vocal traditions with American folk forms. Their early work included albums such as Eat (1998) and Punch (2005). The band evolved into a trio focusing on vocal percussion, handclaps, and heartbeats, incorporating diverse musical influences such as doo-wop, Pygmy counterpoint, Balkan harmony, and Andalusian melody. Albums include Sarajevo Blues (2004), which set Bosnian poetry by Semezdin Mehmedinović, and The Bowls Project (2010), based on ancient Babylonian Jewish amulets. The latter was accompanied by a performance installation at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Charming Hostess has collaborated with artists like Marc Ribot and Jenny Scheinman.
