New Orleans Influence On American Culture

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Of course, this was all made possible due to the breeding ground of New Orleans. New Orleans was the fertile ground for musical innovation for notably six reasons. One, as a port city, it didn’t have strict cultural boundaries. There were no ghettos, and ethnic groups were intermingled, allowing for cultural exposure and diversity. Two, New Orleans had a strong Afro-Caribbean culture, evident of Place de Negres – or Congo Square – where people gathered to dance, drum, and entertain in accordance to the African tradition. This coupled with the ethnic diversity, allowed for innovations like the habanera rhythm to be born. Three, strong dance traditions were kept alive, as seen at Congo Square. Dancing was the cheapest, most feasible form