Laila Biali

Laila Biali: A Canadian Music Icon

Multi award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter, pianist and CBC Music national radio host Laila Biali has headlined festivals and venues spanning five continents from New York City's Carnegie Hall to Beijing's National Centre for the Performing Arts, and supported international icon Sting.

Recognition and Accomplishments

Her JUNO-nominated 2023 album, "Your Requests," featured a stellar cast of guests and received a 4.5-star rave review in All About Jazz. Her previous release, "Out of Dust," was also JUNO nominated in 2021 and won Laila spots on Best Album lists around the globe. In 2020, Laila was honored by SOCAN Music with the Hagood Hardy Award for Excellence in Songwriting.

The previous year, Laila's eponymous release won her a JUNO for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year and top prize at the Canadian Songwriting Competition in the Jazz category. Laila was the youngest-ever double winner at Canada's National Jazz Awards when she was named SOCAN Composer of the Year and Keyboardist of the Year, and she received her first JUNO nomination for "Tracing Light" in 2011.

Radio Presence and Musical Style

When Laila isn't on stage or in the studio, she's busy hosting CBC Music's national radio show, "Saturday Night Jazz," a weekly program broadcast to millions of listeners across Canada. And while she continues to earn high honors in the jazz world, Laila's signature sound transcends genre, masterfully mixing jazz and pop, bringing virtuosity and unpredictability to songs that are concise and catchy (Washington Post).

Upcoming Projects

Her highly anticipated seasonal album, "Wintersongs," released on November 1, 2024, and Laila is bringing the live presentation of "Wintersongs & Holiday Classics" to stages around the world with a virtuosic ensemble that includes Jane Bunnett, members of the Venuti String Quartet, and other special guests.