Rhythm is why thousands of people flock to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and each year, in the heart of the exhibition center, the Cultural Exchange Pavilion honors a different country or territory.
This year, the pavilion honors Jamaica with food, drinks and artists from across the island, including communities affected by Hurricane Melissa.
Melissa was one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes to make landfall and wreaked havoc in Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, causing dozens of deaths in the Caribbean.
For Omar Daley, the invitation to Jazz Fest was a lifeline to rebuilding his home in Jamaica.
"I lost my products, I lost my raw materials. The first thing to do was to make sure my family was safe. "
Daley is originally from Westmoreland Parish, where he founded First Straw, a company that makes craft baskets and home decor in collaboration with Falmouth Artisan Village.
Festival sponsors helped Daley and his wife prepare and make the trip to one of Louisiana's biggest annual events.
"Even when all seems lost, hope returns", he said.
For his first participation in Jazz Fest, he hopes to preserve the art of basketry and introduce the Jamaican atmosphere to New Orleans.
This year's festival will also feature concerts by Jamaican musicians such as Sean Paul, Stephen and Ziggy Marley, as well as other artists such as Lila Ike, Jesse Royal, Rik Jam and the Island Federation.
