We know that African slaves brought with them their rhythms and chants to the Americas. We know that around 1800 enslaved people from New Orleans had Sunday meetings in Congo Square. Short hours of music and dance. I think it´s not wrong to imagine Congo Square as one of the birthplaces of jazz in America. Jazz which soon enough became R&B which was popular in Jamaica and influenced the evolution of Jamaican off-beat music. We know that Congolese popular music which was one of the most influential musical scenes for the whole of Africa was influenced by Cuban music. American popular music influenced popular music worldwide and we know that African music influenced Latin music and vice versa. These are just a few hints to point out the musical connections across the Black Atlantic. The idea behind "musical link up" is to make these connections audible. It is not a scientific approach but an approach through the soul. A musical tribute to Africans and their descendants home and abroad.
