Leyla McCalla

With a banjo, cello, or guitar in hand, the American singer-songwriter tells stories filled with both joy and pain — and sings about moving from darkness into light.

With either a banjo, cello, or guitar in hand, Leyla McCalla blends musical and literary references from across the globe. Genres rooted in the African diaspora, including Brazilian tropicalismo, afrobeat, Ethiopian folk, and American folk, blues, and country, are woven into her compounded sound. Born in New York City to Haitian immigrant parents who were also political activists, McCalla views songwriting as a way to express life’s essential stories. The ones that increase faith and hope, and the ones that carry pain. And she does so in very captivating ways.

About her latest album, ‘Sun Without The Heat’ Protected content , Leyla McCalla said: “I like when music feels urgent, but I also wanted the new album to be playful and fun. I wanted that levity to come through.” The album is her fifth as a solo artist and continues a musical journey that explores and expands on the cultural legacy of the African diaspora. As a member of the group Our Native Daughters, Leyla McCalla highlighted Black female banjo players. And as part of the Black string band The Carolina Chocolate Drops, she was among those who won the Protected content for Best Traditional Folk Album. With songs that hold both sorrow and resilience, Leyla McCalla affirms music as a path to transformation. From darkness into light.