Layla Angulo, born March 12, 1976, and known professionally by the mononym Layla, is an American saxophonist, composer, singer, band director, and recording artist specializing in Latin music.[1]
Layla was born to a Greek mother and an Irish-American father.[2] Her grandfather's upright bass playing inspired her to learn the saxophone at an early age.[3][4]
Layla's first released album, Live at The Triple Door, was recorded at the noted Seattle theater and released in 2005.[5] The album's first single Que Te Vaya Bien was Top 10 for three months on OurStage[6] and reached semi-finalist position in the International Songwriting Competition (ISC). "La Rumbera"—also from Live at the Triple Door—received ISC Honorable Mention in 2006.[7] The album received warm reviews from Seattle Times[8] and Chip Boaz's Latin Jazz Corner.[9]
Mientras was Layla's second album, recorded in New York with Arturo O’Farrill, Oscar Estagnaro, Tony Escapa, and Dario Escanazi. Released in 2008, Mientras was Editors Pick at Descarga.com[10] and was lauded by critics such as Michael G. Nastos at AllMusic.[11]
Layla moved to New York City in 2009, subsequently spending a year on tour with reggaeton artist Don Omar.[12] Her third album TriAngulo yielded a single, "No Se Como Olvidarte" that rose to #16 on the Billboard Tropical Charts.[13] "Estrella," another song from the same album, reached semi-finalist position in the 2014 ISC.[14] A third song from TriAngulo ("La Pelicula") reached #1 in the National Latin Record Pool.[15]
On March 24, 2015, the International Songwriting Competition announced its 2014 Finalists, including Layla's song Dame Todo.[16]