Layla Angulo, born March 12, 1976, and known professionally by the mononym Layla, is an American saxophonist,

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

, singer,

band director A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the di ...

, and

recording artist A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

specializing in Latin music. Layla was born to a Greek mother and an Irish-American father. Her grandfather's upright bass playing inspired her to learn the saxophone at an early age. Layla's first released album, '' Live at The Triple Door'', was recorded at the noted Seattle

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

and released in 2005. The album's first single ''Que Te Vaya Bien'' was Top 10 for three months on OurStage 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. The album received warm reviews from

Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington st ...

and Chip Boaz's Latin Jazz Corner. ''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 and was lauded by critics such as Michael G. Nastos at

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

. Layla moved to New York City in 2009, subsequently spending a year on tour with reggaeton artist Don Omar. Her third album ''TriAngulo'' yielded a single, "No Se Como Olvidarte" that rose to #16 on the

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Tropical Charts. "Estrella," another song from the same album, reached semi-finalist position in the 2014 ISC. A third song from ''TriAngulo'' ("La Pelicula") reached #1 in the National Latin Record Pool. On March 24, 2015, the International Songwriting Competition announced its 2014 Finalists, including Layla's song ''Dame Todo''.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Angulo, Layla American women composers 21st-century American composers 1976 births Living people Women saxophonists 21st-century American saxophonists 21st-century American women musicians 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers 21st-century women composers