Leyla McCalla finds inspiration from her past and present. Whether it is her Haitian heritage or her adopted home of New Orleans, she - a bilingual multi-instrumentalist and alumna of Grammy award-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 has produced a multi-disciplinary music, dance and theatre work, Breaking the Thermometer to Hide the Fever, which follows her personal journey as she uncovers the history of Radio Haiti, the first radio station in Haiti to report news in Haitian Kreyol - the voice of the people. Through this juxtaposition of voices - the personal and political, the anecdotal and the journalistic - McCalla gives expression to the enduring spirit of Haiti's marginalized poor in the face of several centuries of political oppression. Performances of the theatre work are currently scheduled in New Orleans and Philadelphia with more to be announced in soon. The process of creating Breaking the Thermometer to Hide the Fever included listening to countless archival recordings of interviews by Radio Haiti's journalists, and McCalla specifically wrote "Fort Dimanche" after listening to a testimonial interview that Michele Montas - the prominent former journalist and station director at Radio Haiti - had conducted with a survivor of Duvalier's political prison. In the interview, the man outlined his living conditions, the daily terror and torture that these political prisoners were subjected to and the events that led to his arrest. This album is a soundtrack of sorts to the theatre piece, featuring the songs that Leyla McCalla wrote and performs in this work. McCalla's beautiful vocals are described by The New York Times as, "Her voice is disarmingly natural... her magnificently transparent music holds tidings of family, memory, solitude and the inexorability of time: weighty thoughts handled with the lightest touch imaginable. "
Release date:
June 24, 2022
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
-
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO
Featuring a one-piece carbon fiber tonearm, precision-tuned motor, and a heavy steel platter with TPE damping, it ensures superior stability and sound quality.
-
Vinyl Care - Top Picks
A selection of accesories to keep your turntable equipment & vinyl records in the best shape
-
Vevor Ultrasonic Cleaner
Thoroughly clean and restore your vinyl records, removing dust, dirt, and grime from every groove without damaging the surface
-
Nobsound Little Bear T7 Tube Preamp
Delivers rich, warm audio through its high-quality vacuum tubes, featuring multiple inputs and adjustable gain
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Between The Buried And Me The Blue Nowhere [4xLP]
Inside Out Music
September 12, 2025 -
Bad Suns Accelerator
Epitaph
August 8, 2025 -
Molly Tuttle So Long Little Miss Sunshine
Nonesuch
August 15, 2025 -
Panic Shack Panic Shack (Red)
Brace Yourself
August 1, 2025 -
Motion City Soundtrack The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World
Epitaph
September 19, 2025 -
Asher White 8 Tips for Catastrophe Living (Pink)
Joyful Noise Records
September 12, 2025 -
Nova Twins Parasites & Butterflies (Transparent Blue)
Marshall Records
August 29, 2025 -
John Butler PRISM [2xLP]
Independent
September 5, 2025 -
Drain ...is Your Friend
Epitaph
November 7, 2025 -
Newton Faulkner OCTOPUS (White)
Cooking Vinyl
September 19, 2025 -
Ashes of Ares New Messiahs
Roar
August 8, 2025 -
Roger Waters This Is Not A Drill – Live From Prague [4xLP]
Legacy Recordings
August 1, 2025 -
John McLaughlin Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2022 [2xLP]
Earmusic
August 8, 2025 -
Geese Getting Killed
Partisan Records
September 26, 2025