Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
In Memoriam: Cassandra Wilson, 1955–2026
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation will present a new festival later this month on the city’s storied Congo Square.
The inaugural Congo Square Rhythms Festival on Sept. 30 will feature a lineup of Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, and African drum and dance performances, as well as a special mass featuring the Blind Boys of Alabama.
The festival will pay tribute to the square’s significant past as a birthplace of sorts for new African-American art forms. The festivities include a mass at St. Augustine Church (1210 Governor Nicholls St.), a procession to the square and two stages of free music throughout the day.
For more information about the festival, visit jazzandheritage.org/congosquare.
Wilson’s ability to connect to audiences helped her to win two Grammy awards and multiple other accolades. She was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2022.
Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
Bertoncini was a specialist and advocate for the nylon-string acoustic guitar, turning down high-profile opportunities that were unsuited to the sound and techniques that he used with that instrument.
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