Leyla McCalla finds inspiration from a variety of sources, whether it is her Haitian heritage, living in New Orleans or dancing at Cajun Mardi Gras. Leyla, a multi-instrumentalist, is a classically trained cellist and singer whose distinctive sound is impossible to replicate. She’s currently in the process of recording a new LP, her second full-length, at Dockside Studio, a recording compound located on a 12 acre estate in the heart of Cajun country on the banks of the Vermilion Bayou in Maurice, LA. Take a look at some of the studio pictures Leyla shared on her Facebook this week, and stay tuned for more updates on the upcoming album release dates, tour dates, and more.
Big things are in the works for McCalla as 2016 approaches, including co-producing a concert performance series with fellow Americana-Roots musicians Rhiannon Giddens, and Bhi Bhiman. In celebration of Black History Month in February 2016, Rhiannon Giddens will lead a concert with cellist Leyla McCalla and singer-songwriter Bhi Bhiman titled Swimming in Dark Waters: Other Voices of the American Experience. The concert will examine the history of protest, subversion, and cultural resistance from musicians of color throughout the history of the United States, from the original inhabitants to recent immigrants, exploring the songs of resistance of the South, both old and new; the deep history of protest songs from McCalla’s Haiti and Louisiana; and the modern outsider-looking-in observations of first generation American Bhiman.
Learn More About McCalla – Check Out This Interview She Did With AFROPUNK Back In April
Performances are scheduled to begin as part of Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series in New York City on February 24; tickets go on sale November 10. That is followed by shows at the Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick, Maryland, on the 25th, and Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University in Washington, DC, on the 26th; tickets are on sale now. Additional dates will be announced soon.
Rhiannon Giddens resumes her North American tour on November 6 and heads to Europe in January; for details and tickets, visitnonesuch.com/on-tour. A new EP, Factory Girl, featuring additional songs from the recording sessions of her debut solo album, Tomorrow Is My Turn, will be released on vinyl for Record Store Day’s Black Friday event and digitally on December 10.
@NonesuchRecords @RhiannonGiddens @BhiBhiman @dittytv #LeylaMcCalla @DocksideStudio
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