Tucked within the city of New Orleans lies a place that historians consider one of the true birthplaces of American music — Congo Square.
It was at this landmark location that enslaved people were able to come together and express themselves through song, dance, and drumming, holding onto the cultural traditions that connected them to their roots.
The gatherings that took place at Congo Square were far more than simple recreation. They represented an act of cultural preservation under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, and the sounds that emerged from that space would go on to influence not just American music, but musical traditions heard across the globe.
