Leba Hibbert has been busy in 2026. In May, she toured the United Kingdom with The Maytals Featuring Leba Hibbert, but also put the finishing touches on her second album.
‘Leba Abel’ is the name of that eight-song project which was released on August 25. The singer wrote or co-wrote all songs on the album. She also produced six of them.
On ‘Extreme’, Leba shares co-production credit with her father, the legendary Toots Hibbert, who died in September, 2020 at age 77. Guitar maestro Stephen “Cat” Coore of Third World, who died in January, played on that song.
‘Bless Me’, another song from ‘Leba Abel’, is a collaboration with her brother, Junior Toots.
Although she has been around music all her life, Leba says there is always something new to learn. That is one of the things she learned from her father.
Having multiple roles on ‘Leba Abel’ makes the album, “A major turning point in my life.”
Leba Hibbert’s music career started in the 1980s as a member of 54-46, Toots’ harmony trio. After his death, she made the decision to keep The Maytals — which Toots started in Jamaica during the early 1960s — on the road.
Since 2023, Leba has toured the UK and the United States as leader of The Maytals Featuring Leba Hibbert. In May, she did 19 shows throughout the UK to mark the 50th anniversary of her father’s album, ‘Reggae Got Soul’.
WRITTEN BY HOWARD CAMPBELL