Leyla McCalla

New Album ‘Sun Without the Heat’ is out now! Listen: https://leylamccalla.ffm.to/swth

09/01/2026

Thrilled to be headed back to Richmond, VA on September 16th for a performance and conversation with incredible artist, scholar, activists Brian Palmer and Adam R. Rosenblatt at the Shockoe Institute moderated by Marland Buckner💪🏾🎉

I’ll be playing a few songs from my song cycle, East End Elegy, and we’ll be in conversation about what it means to do the work of repairing our civic landscape.

Reserve your tix at the link in my bio and stories ❤️

Don’t miss it! ✊🏾

08/26/2026

I’m thrilled to share that the Shockoe Institute is hosting a pop up panel conversation at this years BlackAmericana Fest on Sept 26th at the Broadside NOLA ⭐️

This conversation, Banjo: An American Monument, will preview the themes of memory, civic healing and collective imagination through the lens of these brilliant banjo players, Samantha Harden of the black.banjo.reclamation project, Dusky Waters and - moderated by Leyla McCalla 🎉
🪕 🪕 🪕 🪕

This panel will preview the Monumental Change Symposium, co-presented by Jazz Generations Initiative - New Orleans at Xavier University of Louisiana on Oct 10th 🎉

08/18/2026

I’m bringing the Shockoe Institute to New Orleans!!
🎉🎉🎉

SAVE THE DATE!
October 10, 2026
Xavier University of Louisiana

Shockoe Institute and Jazz Generations Initiative - New Orleans present -

Monumental Change: Memory, Civic Healing and Collective Imagination is a one-day symposium that brings together artists, scholars, activists, and community leaders to explore how creative expression shapes our collective memory and our vision for the future. Inspired by the historic removal of Confederate monuments in New Orleans and Richmond, the program features thought-provoking conversations, interactive workshops, live music, poetry, and artistic performances that examine these two cities’ shared history and processes of civic healing. Hosted by Xavier University of Louisiana and co-presented by the Shockoe Institute and the Jazz Generations Initiative New Orleans, this unique gathering invites all who are invested in building a more equitable future to engage in dialogue, reflection, and collective imagination.

08/13/2026

I love my garden 🌱 💐 🥰

Photo by Zaya ⭐️

08/11/2026

Hi Everybody,

This is Leyla McCalla and I’m the Artistic Director at the Shockoe Institute.

Today, I want to talk about the Voting Rights Act, one of the most significant pieces of legislation to emerge from the Civil Rights Movement. It was originally passed on August 6, 1965 to ban racial discrimination in access to voting. It brings to mind so many things - the dream of Dr. King, the bravery of Medgar and Millie Evers, the Freedom Riders, the voice of Bernice Johnson Reagon and one of my ultimate heroes, Fannie Lou Hamer.

Fannie Lou Hamer was advocating for voting rights for Black people in the Mississippi Delta when she was beaten within an inch of her life and sterilized for her activism.

61 years later, we are facing court rulings that are gutting the legislation and gutting voters rights in the United States.

Music has always been central to the movement for civil rights and I truly believe that it still is. So in that spirit, I want to offer a little bit of a song from an album that I’ve loved for a long time. It’s called Songs My Mother Taught Me by Fannie Lou Hamer herself.

This one is called City Called Heaven.

07/25/2026

Last night at BJ’s Lounge was such a blast! Thank you to everyone who came and thank you to my fellow earth with lola from nola for this squash. I love playing this music in this town ❤️‍🔥

See you tonight, Bay St. Louis!

07/19/2026

Yall come see us next weekend!

Friday - 7/24 - BJ’s Lounge - New Orleans
Saturday - 7/25 - Bay St Louis Little Theatre - Bay St. Louis, MS
Sunday - 7/26 - Callaghans Irish Social Club - Mobile, AL

07/18/2026

Happy Birthday Pete!!!! Grateful for years of music, adventures and friendship! Thank you for years of packing up my stuff so I can sign records and love on the people. Thanks for knowing where I should be checking for things I think I’ve lost. And lastly, but certainly not least, thank yoy for your stanky bass lines and faces! They crack me up!! 😂😂😂 Grateful for you! We love you!!

Photo circa 2019 🥰🥰

07/16/2026

Help me in wishing my dear friend and drummer extraordinaire, Mr. Daniel Villarreal AKA Daniel Villarreal-Carrillo AKA “friend of society” a Happy Birthday 😂 🎂 🎉

Seriously, I appreciate how you can hang harder than any of us and still be early for van call. You’re a phenomenon! You’ve brought so much warmth and joy to my musical touring family and we all love you! ❤️‍🔥

Hope you’re having a little cerveza and surrounded by good people!

07/06/2026

FRONT PAGE OF THE WASHINGTON POST!! 🎉🎉🎉

So proud to be on the team at the Shockoe Institute and thrilled at the national attention being given to the vision and mission to use our history to improve our lives as citizens of the American story.

We have some exciting announcements of my curations forthcoming and I can’t wait to tell you all more about the work I’ve been doing for the Fall.

Read the article and learn more about the Expanding Freedom exhibit at the link in bio ❤️‍🔥

Address

New Orleans, LA

Website

http://www.leylamccalla.com/

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