Leyla McCalla brings worldly influences to Hancher in Iowa City

It's evident how cathartic “Sun Without the Heat” is for Leyla McCalla. The world music recording artist lets it fly throughout her fifth album, which focuses on turbulent times, motherhood and societal inequities.

“This album felt like this big purge,” McCalla said. “It’s a big opening for my artistry. We’re living in a fascinating period with this late stage capitalism. The American dream of endless growth has not led to prosperity across the board. It’s only there for a small number of people.”

The vocalist-cellist-guitarist is the product of immigrant parents, who moved from Haiti to New York City before McCalla was born.

“I witnessed the obstructions to home ownership for marginalized communities,” McCalla said. “It’s always about who is allowed to get the good stuff. The goal should be that everyone has access to the good stuff. But that’s not how it goes. A few years ago the Supreme Court said we don’t need affirmative action. They said we have equality in our society. But there’s a difference between equality and equity. There’s a web of systemic issues of injustice. Maybe I see it since I’m a Black woman with immigrant parents.”

McCalla, 35, has as much to say with her music, which is comprised of folk, jazz and classical.

McCalla grew up in suburban New Jersey and tried playing the cello as a child and fell in love with the instrument.

“My parents were so supportive, which made a big difference,” McCalla said. “I think my passion for the cello took us all by surprise. I fell into it and it was such a happy accident.”

McCalla studied cello performance and chamber music at New York University.

Not long after college McCalla joined the Carolina Chocolate Drops as a cellist. After recording and touring behind the band’s “Leaving Eden” album in 2012, McCalla left the group the following year for a solo career.

“I enjoyed my time in the group, but I made the right decision,” McCalla said.

The divorced mother of three children is a content solo artist, who is inspired in her adopted city of New Orleans.

“I love it here,” McCalla said. “I’m always moved to make music. It’s not surprising that so many musicians live here. New Orleans is such a vibrant place.”

McCalla’s unique music is a clarion call for equality with catchy guitar riffs, memorable fiddle lines, New Orleans rhythms and shuffles and songs sung in French. McCalla’s sonic gumbo is a testament to the Big Easy.

“There is no place like New Orleans,” McCalla said. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

But McCalla, who will perform at a sold out concert Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, at Hancher Auditorium’s Strauss Hall in Iowa City, is looking forward to hitting the road.

“I love it since I’m giving people what they want and need,” McCalla said. “One thing I learned from the pandemic is that people really crave music and art.”

McCalla is especially excited to play Hancher’s Strauss Hall since she gets to deliver a full set.

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“I can tell a story throughout the evening with the songs I choose to play,” McCalla said. “That’s not easy to do if you’re playing for 45-minutes at a festival. But I absolutely love playing the full shows.”

It’s been a dozen years since McCalla played with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, but a reunion is slated for April in Durham, N.C. “That’s going to be a lot of fun,” McCalla said. “We stayed friends. I just went in another direction as a solo artist and it’s worked out well.”

But it’s not easy being a mother of three children while on the road.

“There are a lot of moving parts when I’m on tour,” McCalla said. “But I try to make it work with balance. I make adjustments. I hire nannies and I do my best with my children. I try to live the best life possible. I continue to move forward with my children and my music.”