Congo Rhythms Festival comes once a year and celebrates the city's African roots. Congo Square is the place slaves gathered on their day off - Sunday - to perform their traditional dances and play drums. As part of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Foundation mission, the weekend supports a unique style of music we don't otherwise hear.
I stopped by on both days to hear bits and pieces, primarily by the Stooges Brass Band and Alexey Marti, my zumba instructor's Cuban husband who plays conga drums. I also missed a whole lot of interesting stuff, but what can you do? There's always something wonderful you are missing. As I arrived, so were the Mardi Gras Indians, who paraded through the crowd and then did a war dance in the middle of the plaza. They're wild, as you can see.
I then had a conversation with an artist I've met before and bought jewelry from. He explained dumpster diving to me and how he plans to go home to Guatemala to get his cataracts removed since he can't afford health insurance. He almost had me convinced to try dumpster diving but not the surgery.
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