The New Orleans (NOLA) Jazz and Heritage Festival will be featuring Jamaican music and culture this year on stage and throughout the festival and the Alpha School of Music is proud to be a part of the experience. Patrons attending the renowned festival which runs from April 24-May 3, 2026 are invited to view the Alpha banner in the performance tent and to keep an ear out for Alpha School of Music instructor, Oshane Love, who will be giving daily ska and reggae percussion workshops in the kids village during the second weekend, April 30-May 3. Click here for the festival lineup and to purchase tickets https://www.nojazzfest.com/tickets/.
Part of the mission of the festival is to serve “as a bridge between New Orleans and global cultures that share deep musical and historical ties”. As the most northern city in the Caribbean and a creative epicenter of pop music, there is a special bond between NOLA, JA and Alpha’s music legacy. It was New Orleans inspired jazz that ruled Jamaican dance halls in the 50s and 60s. And it was jazzmen like Alpha alumni Don Drummond, Tommy McCook, Lester Sterling and Johnny Dizzy Moore who became the catalyst for reggae’s rise.
An instructor at Alpha since 2022, Love says he is proud to represent the school, the country and the culture.
“Leading the workshops at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will be a tribute to the impact of Jamaican music on the world and the impact of the world on Jamaican music,” said Love. “It is an honor to be an educator and communicate these connections through music.”
Oshane Love will also perform twice on the main stage–with Stephen Marley Thursday, April 23 and a ska set with his own project, Topp Brass, on Sunday, April 26.
Patrons inside the performance tent will enjoy a 12ft x 8ft Alpha banner created by Kingston-based designer Rebecca Meek whose visual storytelling captures the role of the Sisters of Mercy and Alpha alumni’s historical contributions to jazz, ska and reggae.
Gay Magnus, Director of Music at the Alpha School of Music, says this is a unique teaching opportunity for Alpha students and young musicians everywhere.
“It is an honour that the Alpha music programme will be featured at such a prestigious international event,” said Magnus. “New Orleans jazz festival organizers’ appreciation for the role of music education reminds us how vital educators are to the strength of our culture on the world stage.”
