Leyla McCalla's Vari-Colored Songs is a celebration of the complexity of Black culture and identity, and a tribute to the legacy of poet and thinker Langston Hughes. A songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, McCalla sets Hughes' poems to her own spare yet profound compositions. She juxtaposes these with arrangements of folk songs from Haiti, the first independent Black nation and the homeland of her parents, tapping into the nuances of Black experience. McCalla's music elegantly weaves Haitian influences together with American folk music, just as Hughes incorporated Black vernacular into his remarkable poetry, and the way the Haitian Kreyòl is a beacon for the survival of African identity through the brutal legacy of colonialism. This is music of reclamation, imbued with a quiet power that grapples with the immense weight of history.
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Edifier R1280DB Powered Speakers
Combining classic design with modern Bluetooth connectivity, built-in amplification and versatile inputs, these speakers deliver rich, balanced sound.
-
Nagaoka MP-110H Cartridge
Features a high-quality elliptical stylus that provides excellent tracking and minimizes distortion, delivering a detailed sound reproduction with an output voltage of 5.0 mV
-
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.
-
Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
-
Pro-Ject Phono Box DC Pre-Amp
Compact, high-performance phono preamplifier for both MM and MC cartridges, delivering a clean, detailed signal with minimal noise.
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Gigi Perez At The Beach, In Every Life
Island
July 11, 2025 -
Nailed to Obscurity Generation Of The Void (Clear, Light Rose & Black Marbled) [2xLP]
Nuclear Blast
September 5, 2025 -
Marillion This Strange Engine [2xLP]
Earmusic
July 18, 2025 -
Slow Crush Thirst
Pure Noise Records
August 29, 2025 -
Pendulum Inertia [2xLP]
Virgin Music International
August 22, 2025 -
Black Keys No Rain, No Flowers
Warner Records
August 8, 2025 -
Goon Dream 3
Born Losers Records
July 11, 2025 -
Psychlona Warped Vision
Magnetic Eye
July 18, 2025 -
The Vintage Caravan Portals [2xLP]
Napalm Records
September 26, 2025 -
Lorna Shore I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me [2xLP]
Century Media
September 12, 2025 -
David Bowie & Mick Jagger Dancing In The Street E.P. 2025
Rhino / Parlophone
August 29, 2025 -
Conan Gray Wishbone (Black Cat Edition)
Republic Records
August 15, 2025 -
Cass McCombs Interior Live Oak [2xLP]
Domino Record Co
August 15, 2025 -
Burning Witches Inquisition
Napalm Records
August 22, 2025