Ibeyi

Ibeyi is a French-Cuban musical duo consisting of twin sisters Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz. The duo sings in English and Yoruba, — a Nigerian language their ancestors spoke before being brought to Cuba by the Spanish to be made slaves in the 1700s — though Lisa's is the lead voice. Naomi plays traditional Spanish/Cuban percussion instruments cajón and Batá drum, while Lisa also plays piano.

Ibeyi is pronounced ee-bey-ee. In the Yoruba language this translates as "twins".

Their music has elements of Yoruba, French and Afro-Cuban, and fuses jazz with beats, samples with traditional instruments.

Early life and career

The twins were born in Paris but lived in Havana for the first two years of their lives. They often visited Cuba yearly on holiday, but were primarily raised in Paris, where they currently reside. Their father was the famed Cuban percussionist, Anga Díaz, who has received a Grammy for his work with the latin jazz band Irakere and was also a member of Buena Vista Social Club played with Ibrahim Ferrer, Rubén González and Máximo Francisco Repilado Muñoz aka Compay Segundo. On his death in 2006, Naomi, then aged 11, learned to play his signature instrument the cajón. Together, the sisters studied Yoruba folk songs. Their mother is French-Venezuelan singer, Maya Dagnino, who serves as their manager and encouraged Lisa-Kainde's songwriting. In 2013, they signed to the record label, XL Recordings. Label owner Richard Russell is the only other contributor to their self-titled debut album, released in 2015.

Ibeyi (album)

Ibeyi is the self-titled debut album of Ibeyi, released in February 2015. The album is a series of reflections on love, death and family that spans countries as well as genres. The album pays tribute to the duo's deceased father, Anga Díaz, and the track Yanira immortalizes the duo’s older sister, who died several years ago.

The first single released was "Oya".

The video for their album’s second single, "River", received attention for its stark minimalism. The twin sisters, Lisa-Kainde and Naomi Diaz, appear in a closeup shot throughout, taking turns having their heads forced underwater while the other sings.

Track listing

Charts

References