The role of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on the genesis of the Tropical Atlantic Variability (TAV) is studied in a coupled ocean‐atmosphere general circulation model using two modeling approaches of partial coupling and partial blocking. It is found that the NAO is not a necessary precondition for the genesis of the TAV although it can enhance climate variability in the tropical North Atlantic significantly via extratropical‐tropical teleconnections. Instead, local ocean‐atmosphere interaction plays a dominant role for the full development of TAV. Our results do not rule out the possible influence of ENSO on TAV.