“Her voice is disarmingly natural.” —New York Times

Leyla McCalla finds inspiration from her past and present, whether it is her Haitian heritage or her adopted home of New Orleans. This multi-instrumentalist and alumna of the Grammy-winning African American string band, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, has risen to produce a distinctive sound that reflects the union of her roots and experience. McCalla’s music is at once earthy, elegant, soulful, and witty. It vibrates with three centuries of history, yet also feels strikingly fresh, distinctive, and contemporary and features lyrics sung in English, French, and Haitian Creole.

McCalla’s program will feature selections from Breaking the Thermometer to Hide the Fever, a multidisciplinary work that follows her personal journey as she uncovered the history of Radio Haiti, Haiti’s first privately owned Creole-speaking radio station.