Published on:
March 27th, 2013
This past weekend the Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival took place at Louis Armstrong Park. The festival is New Orleans' premiere world music gathering, an event put on by The Jazz & Heritage Foundation to highlight the music and culture of the African Diaspora that has settled here in New Orleans.
The festival included the Class Got Brass competition - a chance for middle and high school bands from the greater New Orleans area to win up to $10,000 to purchase new instruments. The big winner of this 2nd annual competition was O. Perry Walker High School's The Chosen Ones Brass Band.
Whether or not you made it down to Armstrong Park, you'll enjoy perusing photo highlights from this year's Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival:
PHOTO GALLERY: Congo Square New World Rhythms Fest 2013

N'Fungola Sibo African Dance coming offstage at Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival 2013. Photo by Melanie Merz.

Culu Children's Traditional African Dance at Congo Square New World Rhythms 2013. Photo by Melanie Merz.

Culu Children's Traditional African Dance at Congo Square New World Rhythms 2013. Photo by Melanie Merz.

Festival host Jorge Fuentes and Pedrito Martinez at Congo Square New World Rhythms Fest. Photo by Melanie Merz.

Tribute to Alfred "Uganda" Roberts at Congo Square New World Rhythms Fest 2013. Photo by Melanie Merz.

N'Fungola Sibo African Dance at Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival 2013. Photo by Melanie Merz.

African dance circle with Chuck Davis at Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival 2013. Photo by Melanie Merz.

Fest goers and new friends with matching 'dos at Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival 2013. Photo by Melanie Merz.

Kumbaku African Dance Collective at Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival 2013. Photo by Melanie Merz.

Band director preps his Class Got Brass group before they parade in front of the judges at Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival 2013. Photo by Melanie Merz.

Dee-1 and 3D Na'Tee join the Stooges onstage at Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival 2013. Photo by Melanie Merz.

Students watching Stooges Brass band at Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival 2013. Photo by Melanie Merz.

Class Got Brass winners the Chosen Ones of O Perry Walker High School. by Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee (http://rhrphoto.com/)

Class Got Brass winners the Chosen Ones of O Perry Walker High School. by Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee (http://rhrphoto.com/)

O. Perry Walker High School Brass Band during the Class Got Brass Competition. by Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee (http://rhrphoto.com/)

St. Mary's Dominican High School Brass Band during the Class Got Brass Competition. by Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee (http://rhrphoto.com/)

West Jefferson High School Buccaneer Brass Band during the Class Got Brass Competition. by Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee (http://rhrphoto.com/)