Congo Square — Attraction in New Orleans

CONGO SQUARE IS SACRED GROUNDS! Congo Square is in the vicinity of a spot which Houmas Indians used before the arrival of the French for celebrating their annual corn harvest and was considered sacred ground. The gathering of enslaved African vendors in Congo Square originated as early as the late 1740's during Louisiana’s French colonial period and continued during the Spanish colonial era as one of the city’s public markets. By 1803 Congo Square had become famous for the gathering of enslaved Africans who drummed, danced, sang and traded on Sunday afternoons. By 1819, these gatherings numbered as many as 500 to 600 people. Among the most famous dances were the Bamboula, the Calinda and the Congo. These African cultural expressions gradually developed into Mardi Gras Indian traditions, the Second Line and eventually New Orleans jazz and rhythm and blues. Besides the music and dancing, Congo Square also provided enslaved blacks with a place in which they could express themselves spiritually. This brief religious freedom on Sundays resulted in the practice of voodoo ceremonies. Voodoo is an ancient religion that developed from enslaved West Africans who brought this ritualistic practice with them when they arrived in New Orleans in the 18th century. Although it is not the most noted recreational activity people took part in at Congo Square, it was nevertheless one of the many forms of entertainment and social gatherings here. Voodoo was the most prominent from the 1820s to the 1860s, as Congo Square provided an opportunity to expose people to this intriguing practice. The types of voodoo ceremonies performed at Congo Square were very different from traditional voodoo, however. True voodoo rituals were much more exotic and secretive and focused on the religious and ritualistic aspect, while the voodoo in Congo Square was predominantly a form of entertainment and a celebration of African culture. Some of the dances and types of music heard in Congo Square were the result of these voodoo ceremonies. Marie Laveau, the first and most powerful voodoo queen and Doctor John, the first and most powerful voodoo priest, are two of the most well known practitioners of voodoo in Congo Square. In the 1830s, Marie Laveau led voodoo dances in Congo Square and held other secret and sacred rituals along the banks of Lake Pontchartrain and St....

First of all, I'm from New Orleans. Born and raised here. 7th Ward is my home. Gentilly for life ya herd meh. Congo Square is located inside of Louis Armstrong park in the 6th Ward Treme area. It's just outside of the rampart bordering the French Quarter. Secondly , Congo Square is Ancestral sacred Ground. You can still here those drums and our people dancing with call and response chants. Still today drumming circles are held here. Concerts and vendoring take place nearly every week. In the past many major concerts were attended to and enjoyed at the Mahalia Jackson auditorium just a few steps away. Congo square represents the bonding of communal cohesion. Just as it was back during the antebellum era , different black people or tribes or ethnic groups gathered in separate areas. They each had their own dances, chants, colors and a particular stlye of dress. On Sundays, we were africans being african inside a system of bondage. Which I contend that these activities were the first steps to form jazz music. Thirdly and lastly, it took for me leaving New Orleans several times to really appreciate its uniqueness. The cultural aspects of African-American here are seen and heard in everything we do. For examples the taste of seasoning in the food; Second line funeral possessions; Gumbo and jambalaya; the infamous accents sounding more Caribana/ west indian than southern; the way we dance and walk during brass band marching; and most of all the music, from Buddy Bolden to Trombone Shorty and the largest pantheon of talented musicians in America. The rhythms here are unlike any other and are the foundations for different genres of music in America. I could name so many others but I'll let you reserch the names, rhythms and places that Congo Square gave birth to , nutured and reared into adulthood. CONGO SQUARE is where we share our...

This place called to me and nurtured my soul! I learned all about Congo Square before visiting, but you don’t learn everything about it until you visit. You most certainly do not feel its power until you visit. There was an older gentleman drumming when we entered and the powerful beat of the drums brought Congo Square to life for me. I closely examined the circles, the grout (I have a habit of looking for hand, finger and footprints) the benches and the beautiful trees. The drumming gentleman approached me when he thought I was being left behind by a tour group. I told him that my husband and I were showing ourselves around, so he offered to tell me more history. The ancestral tree is a beauty to behold. It’s limbs and trunk are gigantic. Looking into it’s vastness, I could only imagine the stories it holds. If only those branches could talk. It is the oldest tree in NO and people still bring offerings for ancestors. If there was ever a time I felt a real connection to the past was in Congo Square. I imagined the ancestors finding reprieve from a harsh world with dancing and drumming. The statue with the woman dancing and drummers made me smile… I studied their faces and took it all in,...