Airs Sunday, October 29 at 4:00 PM

Famed trumpeter and Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center Wynton Marsalis returned to his hometown of New Orleans for the world premiere concert of the composition Congo Square. The work was dedicated to the storm ravaged city and co-written by Marsalis and Yacub Addy, the Ghanania drum master whose band Odaddaa! joined the Lincoln Center Orchestra to perform the masterpiece.

Congo Square was inspired by the public square of the same name where in the 1700’s and 1800’s slaves could gather and perform African music and dance. This was the only place in the United States where this could occur and many agree that this is what made it possible for New Orleans to become the birthplace of jazz.

Another HD-TV production by Louisiana Public Broadcasting

Funding for this program, provided in part by
the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting
and the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.

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