Few cities in the world have shaped modern music culture the way New Orleans, Louisiana has. The sound of the city—often described simply as the NOLA style—is not confined to a single genre. Instead, it represents a living musical ecosystem where funk, brass band traditions, Treme street music, rhythm and blues, zydeco, second-line grooves, and classic New Orleans soul intersect to create one of the most recognizable musical identities anywhere in the world.
This season, JamFest is shining a spotlight on that powerful musical legacy with expanded programming that celebrates the full spectrum of New Orleans sound. At the center of that celebration is the radio show What Is Hip?!, an overnight broadcast designed to immerse listeners in the rhythms and culture of Louisiana music.
The show begins each night at 10 PM, launching a deep musical journey through the sounds that define New Orleans nightlife. From there, the program continues throughout the night—delivering hours of funk grooves, brass band street rhythms, zydeco accordion energy, and the unmistakable pulse of the Crescent City—until the broadcast concludes with NPR News Now at 9 AM.
For music fans, the show offers something rare: a full overnight immersion in authentic New Orleans music culture.
The NOLA Sound: A City Where Genres Collide
While many people associate New Orleans primarily with jazz, the city’s musical identity has always been far broader and more diverse. The NOLA style reflects generations of cultural exchange and neighborhood traditions that shaped an entire family of musical genres.
The foundation of that sound can be traced to historic gathering places such as Congo Square, where African rhythms and Caribbean influences blended with European musical traditions centuries ago.
From those early musical gatherings grew a musical culture defined by rhythm, improvisation, and collective performance.
Today, the New Orleans sound encompasses multiple styles that remain deeply connected to the city’s streets and neighborhoods:
Funk: New Orleans funk carries a groove-driven rhythm that emphasizes syncopation and deep bass lines. The style became globally influential through artists such as The Meters, whose rhythmic innovations helped shape funk music worldwide.
Brass Band and Treme Traditions: In neighborhoods like Tremé, brass band music has long served as both celebration and storytelling. These ensembles perform at parades, second-line celebrations, and community events, keeping the city’s street music tradition alive.
Zydeco: Originating in Louisiana’s Creole communities, zydeco blends accordion-driven melodies with blues, R&B, and dance rhythms. The genre remains a central part of Louisiana cultural festivals and dance halls.
Second-Line Rhythms: One of the most distinctive elements of New Orleans music is the second-line parade tradition, where musicians and dancers move through neighborhoods performing high-energy rhythms rooted in community celebration.
Together, these styles form the NOLA musical identity—a sound that JamFest is celebrating in its full diversity.
The What Is Hip?! Radio Show Brings the Crescent City to the Airwaves
The What Is Hip?! radio show was created to capture the experience of a night in New Orleans and bring it to listeners around the world.
Instead of focusing on a single genre, the program explores the entire musical ecosystem of the city.
From late-night funk sessions to brass band recordings, zydeco dance tracks, and classic New Orleans R&B, the show recreates the experience of moving from club to club through the neighborhoods of the Crescent City.
Listeners tuning in at 10 PM step into a curated musical environment designed to mirror the city’s nightlife rhythm.
As the night unfolds, the playlist expands across decades of recordings and modern performances, celebrating artists who helped shape the sound of New Orleans.
By the time the show reaches the early morning hours, audiences have traveled across the entire spectrum of NOLA music culture.
Festivals That Keep the New Orleans Sound Alive
JamFest’s focus on the New Orleans music tradition arrives during one of the most vibrant periods in the city’s festival calendar.
One of the most anticipated events is the legendary French Quarter Festival, scheduled for April 16–19, 2026.
The event transforms the historic French Quarter into a massive outdoor celebration of Louisiana music and culture, featuring hundreds of performances across multiple stages.
Unlike many large music festivals, French Quarter Festival places a special emphasis on local artists and regional genres, including brass band music, funk, zydeco, and Cajun traditions.
Another major cultural event highlighting the next generation of New Orleans musicians is the Congo Square Rhythms Festival, scheduled for March 28, 2026.
The festival hosts the well-known Class Got Brass competition, where school brass bands compete for more than $50,000 in musical instruments and education support.
The event celebrates the educational pipeline that keeps New Orleans music traditions thriving across generations.
Meanwhile, the popular Wednesday at the Square concert series continues drawing large crowds to Lafayette Square each spring. The free outdoor concerts feature local bands performing funk, soul, brass band music, and modern interpretations of the NOLA groove.
Together, these festivals demonstrate how deeply music remains embedded in everyday life across New Orleans.
Clubs and Venues Continue the Tradition
Beyond the major festivals, New Orleans music culture thrives in the city’s clubs and performance spaces.
One notable example is the launch of the “Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon” series at the Three Maries Jazz Club inside the Omni Royal Orleans.
Although the venue highlights jazz in its programming, the performances often reflect the broader musical influences of the city, blending funk rhythms, brass instrumentation, and improvisational traditions.
Across the city, venues continue hosting nightly performances where musicians reinterpret the sounds of New Orleans through contemporary perspectives.
These intimate club settings remain one of the most important spaces where the NOLA sound continues to evolve.
New Recordings Keep the Legacy Moving Forward
New Orleans musicians continue producing recordings that blend tradition with innovation.
Recent projects receiving attention within the Louisiana music community include recordings from Kyle Roussel, Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet, and Trombone Shorty with the New Breed Brass Band.
These artists represent the modern evolution of New Orleans music, combining brass traditions with funk, hip-hop, and contemporary performance styles.
Meanwhile, Tipitina’s continues preserving historic recordings through its vinyl-focused record club, highlighting rare and influential music from the city’s archives.
Each new release contributes to the ongoing story of New Orleans music culture.
JamFest Expands the Global Conversation Around NOLA Music
By spotlighting New Orleans through JamFest programming and the overnight What Is Hip?! broadcast, the festival is helping expand global awareness of the city’s musical diversity.
Rather than focusing solely on a single genre, JamFest celebrates the full spectrum of the New Orleans sound—from funk grooves and brass band parades to zydeco dance rhythms and modern Louisiana soul.
This approach reflects the true identity of New Orleans music.
It is not defined by one genre.
It is defined by rhythm, community, and the ability of musicians to reinterpret tradition in new ways.
Each night as What Is Hip?! goes live at 10 PM, that tradition continues—broadcasting the pulse of New Orleans to listeners everywhere and reminding audiences why the Crescent City remains one of the most influential music capitals on Earth.