Credits:

Leyla McCalla

Description:

This is the first album she released as a solo artist after leaving the Carolina Chocolate Drops. It is a tribute to Langston Hughes (1902-67), an African American writer and thinker who inspired her to become an artist. In an era when stereotypical images of black people from a white perspective were prevalent, Langston Hughes' works, which depicted the realities of black people through his own eyes as a black person and highlighted the universal image of human beings, continue to resonate and move African Americans. In this piece, she incorporates some of Hughes' poetry into her own lyrics, while also performing original songs with an American roots music flavor, as well as Haitian music, another of her roots. She expresses her identity through a subtle melding of musical influences from both her parents' native Haiti and her American upbringing. The first track [1] is a self-written piece featuring a cello and her singing. The floating, country-style steel guitar tone overlaps with the cello, depicting the beautiful and heartbreaking reality of America. In [7], she plays banjo, in [8] she plays guitar, and in [11] you can hear her singing an authentic Haitian folk song in Creole with the rhythm of a clave.At the time of its release, the New York Times praised the album, saying, "Deep within her clear, beautiful music lies a heart that knows the meaning of family, memory, loneliness, and the heartlessness of the world. If you have been impressed by the work of Our Native Daughters, this is a very significant work that you should give a listen to. If you are interested in the history of Black American music and are looking for a fine piece of Americana, this is the perfect album for you! (2/2)

Tracklisting:

1. Heart of Gold
2. When I Can See the Valley
3. Mèsi Bondye
4. Girl
5. Kamèn sa w fè?
6. Too Blue
7. Manman Mwen
8. Song for a Dark Girl
9. As I Grew Older / Dreamer
10. Love Again Blues
11. Rose Marie
12. Latibonit
13. Search
14. Lonely House
15. Changing Tide