A new cultural initiative seeks to formally connect the artistic and historical threads between New Orleans, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Jamaica. Rooted in Rhythm, founded by Nikki Fernandes and Raquel Haupt, launches its debut project, “From Congo Square to the Caribbean,” with a weeklong cultural exchange from Thursday to Tuesday, culminating in a public launch event on Friday.
The initiative establishes a structured framework for artistic collaboration rooted in shared diasporic history, with a goal of developing sustainable creative economies across the three regions.
Rooted in Rhythm was founded on a combination of personal heritage and professional expertise. Fernandes, a native of St. Thomas, and Haupt, who is of Jamaican descent, both relocated to New Orleans in their early twenties. Their collaboration draws on backgrounds in public health, community development, psychology, and artist development.
According to Fernandes, the organization emerged from a shared observation of cultural continuity between New Orleans and the Caribbean, paired with a commitment to invest in creative economies. The founders aim to formalize and support connections between artists across the three regions through residencies, cultural immersion, and professional development.
The project’s title, “From Congo Square to the Caribbean,” directly references the historic site in New Orleans that serves as a foundational anchor for the exchange. Congo Square holds significance as a location where enslaved Africans gathered on Sundays to preserve music, dance, spirituality, and community traditions. Fernandes notes that the area was previously considered sacred ground by the Indigenous peoples of Bulbancha, a Choctaw term meaning “land of many tongues,” before the arrival of enslaved Africans. “When you walk into Congo Square you can feel the history there even before you read the plaques. This was a place where our ancestors made sure to keep their culture alive,” Fernandes said.
The Sunday gathering tradition established in Congo Square is framed by the founders as parallel to similar cultural practices observed in the Caribbean. Fernandes also situated the connection within the broader context of the trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. “We all come from the same place and were dropped off at different places,” Fernandes said.
The Thursday-through-Tuesday exchange is designed as an immersive experience for visiting delegations from the U.S. Virgin Islands and Jamaica. Rather than a traditional performance exchange, the programming emphasizes cultural immersion and relationship-building. Some of the planned activities include attending the Congo Square Rhythms Festival, participating in the Black Masking Indians Downtown Super Sunday, and meetings with New Orleans cultural organizations. According to Fernandes, the goal is to provide delegations with exposure to Black diasporic culture in New Orleans as a foundation for future collaboration.
The March launch marks the public debut of Rooted in Rhythm, but the organization has outlined a multiyear trajectory. During the summer, Rooted in Rhythm will replicate the cultural exchange model on St. Thomas and Jamaica to build support and partnerships in those anchor regions with additional plans for a residency program for artists in 2027. The organization is currently focused on relationship-building, funding, and increasing global visibility. “We truly believe that investing in creative economies is the most important thing that we can do at this time in history,” Fernandes said.
For more information about Rooted in Rhythm, visit www.rootedinrhythm.co.
