Leyla McCalla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leyla McCalla
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Leyla McCalla in concert with the Carolina Chocolate Drops in September 2012
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Leyla Sarah McCalla
October 3, 1985 New York City, United States
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Leyla Sarah McCalla (born October 3, 1985) is an American musician. She plays classical and folk music. Leyla used to be a cellist for the Grammy Award-winning band Carolina Chocolate Drops. Later, she decided to focus on her own music career.
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Early Life and Musical Journey
Leyla's parents were both born in Haiti. Her father, Jocelyn McCalla, worked for a group that helped people in Haiti. He also helped translate songs for one of her albums. Her mother, Régine Dupuy, came to the United States when she was five. Régine's father, Ben Dupuy, ran a Haitian newspaper called Haïti Progrès. Leyla's mother also started an organization called Dwa Fanm. This group helps people who are facing violence at home. Leyla's younger sister, Sabine McCalla, is also a musician in New Orleans.
Leyla was born in Queens, New York City. She grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey. She went to Columbia High School there. As a teenager, she lived in Accra, Ghana for two years. After studying at Smith College for a year, she moved to New York University. There, she studied how to play the cello and chamber music. In 2010, she moved to New Orleans. She improved her music skills by playing on the streets of the French Quarter. Besides the cello, she also plays the banjo and guitar.
Musical Career Highlights
From 2011 to 2013, Leyla McCalla was a member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops. This was a very popular band. In 2019, she joined another group called Our Native Daughters.
Around 2017, Leyla toured with her own trio. This group was based in New Orleans. It included Daniel Tremblay from Québec. He played guitar, banjo, and the iron triangle (called ti fer). Free Feral also joined them on vocals and guitar.
From 2019 to 2020, Leyla toured with her Leyla McCalla Quartet. This band featured other New Orleans musicians. Dave Hammer played electric guitar. Shawn Myers played drums and percussion. Pete Olynciw played electric and acoustic bass.
First Album: Vari-Colored Songs
Leyla McCalla's first album was called Vari-Colored Songs. Many people praised this album. It was a special tribute to the poet Langston Hughes. The album included songs based on his poems. It also had Haitian folk songs sung in Haitian Creole. Plus, there were new songs written by Leyla herself.
Leyla said the first song she wrote for the album was "Heart of Gold." She felt this song helped her understand Hughes's thoughts. Leyla chose to honor Hughes because his work made her want to become an artist. She worked on this album for five years before it came out. People noticed that the album had sounds from Louisiana music. This included old Cajun fiddle tunes and traditional jazz banjo. Members of the Carolina Chocolate Drops also played on the album. Leyla raised money for the album through a crowdfunding campaign. She asked for $5,000 but raised $20,000!
Personal Life
Leyla McCalla lives in the New Orleans area. She has three children.
Discography
- Vari-Colored Songs: A Tribute to Langston Hughes (February 4, 2014, Music Maker)
- A Day for the Hunter, A Day for the Prey (May 20, 2016, Jazz Village/Harmonia Mundi)
- Capitalist Blues (January 25, 2019, Jazz Village/PIAS)
- Breaking the Thermometer (May 6, 2022, Anti-)
- Sun Without the Heat (April 12, 2024, Anti-)
Collaborations
- Carolina Chocolate Drops: Leaving Eden (February 24, 2012, Nonesuch)
- Our Native Daughters: Songs of Our Native Daughters (February 22, 2019, Smithsonian Folkways)
