Lindsay Layla is Toronto's Dub Poet, Soul Singer, multidisciplinary artist and educator. An Alumni of Randolph Academy of the Performing Arts she blends musical theatre, early childhood education, Indigenous traditions and stories along with contemporary genres such as hip-hop, dub poetry, reggae, ska, jazz, soul, funk and rock music into her work and uses art as a tool of healing, and reclaiming her own sovereignty. With Huron-Wendat (Iroquois) and Algonquin roots on her mother’s side she honours her ancestors and her son by creating meaningful art and music that resonates with Spirit. Raised in northeastern Ontario and a proud francophone she carries the stories of her ancestors across Huron-Wendat (Iroiquois, Haudenosaunee) and Algonquin (Anishnaabe) territories, weaving ancestral projections, lineage, and her personal experience into her work.
Her latest ska-reggae EP, Dead Poets Honour, released in November 2024, an album rooted in resistance, identity and rebirth. Her latest EP follows her 2023 single Come Back Nation—a rebellion against systems of assimilation and oppression. Released on September 30th, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the record honours missing children who never returned home from residential schools and calls attention to the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous relatives. With songs like Defend Her, it carries urgent messages about Mother Earth, our relationship to the land and each other, and the need for global unity. Through her music, Lindsay pays tribute to her younger sister, her ancestors, and offers resilience and hope to her son and community: “We are stronger together”.
Known in spirit as Waban Miigwan Iskwe, a name given by Cree elders, Lindsay brings together her Francophone upbringing, her complex childhood, and years of guidance through Yoga and Martial Arts training, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee elders, teachings and language speakers. Her artistry is both personal and collective—rooted in cultural reclamation, standing up for what is right, healing from inter-generational trauma and a complex childhood and carrying forward matriarchal and warrior traditions of governance.
Her mission is centered on unity, sovereignty, and connection. She honours traditional teachings about Mother Earth, and the sky and stars, envisioning a future where nations are not divided but united, where Indigenous sovereignty is restored, and the strength of her people is fully realized. Through her voice, Lindsay Layla carries a dream of “one love” across the planet.
Lindsay Layla lives in Toronto with her family and works closely with children and youth.
