How did Latin American rhythms influence the development of jazz in New Orleans?

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ceramic flute — Latin American music Flute, slip-painted ceramic, Nopiloa, southern Veracruz, Mexico, 300–500 ce; in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 35.56 × 17.15 × 10.80 cm.

Around the turn of the 20th century, Latin American music played a significant role in shaping the early style of jazz in New Orleans. This influence provided the genre with a distinctive syncopated rhythmic character, where accents were shifted to weak beats.1

The renowned pianist and composer Jelly Roll Morton famously referred to this Latin contribution as the "Spanish tinge" of jazz. During this period, American musicians began incorporating the Cuban habanera—a syncopated four-beat pattern—into their compositions. A notable example of this integration is W.C. Handy’s 1914 composition, "St. Louis Blues".1