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Ibeyi
Naomi (left) and Lisa-Kaindé Diaz
Background information
Born
(1994-12-13) 13 December 1994 (age 29) Paris, France
Ibeyi is a French musical duo consisting of twin sisters Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz. The duo sings in English, French, Spanish and Yoruba,[1] In Yoruba, Ibeyi (Ìbejì) means "twins".[2]
Their music has elements of Yoruba, French and Afro-Cuban, and fuses jazz with beats, samples with traditional instruments.,[3] Lisa, the lead singer,[4] plays the piano;[5] Naomi plays the traditional Peruvian/Cuban percussion instruments cajón and Batá drum.
Early life and career
The fraternal[6] twins (born 13 December 1994, in Paris) lived in Havana for the first two years of their lives, then moved to Paris, where they were educated.[7] They visited Cuba yearly on holiday, but were primarily raised in Paris, where they currently reside.[5]
In 2013, they signed to the record label, XL Recordings.[1][11] Label owner Richard Russell is the only other contributor to their self-titled debut album, released in 2015.[5] Released when they were 20, the album pays tribute to their deceased father and the track Yanira immortalizes the duo's older sister, who died in 2013. The song ends with a synth that sounds like a life-support monitor.[5]
In 2014, they received attention for the video for their album's second single, "River". The twins appear in a closeup shot throughout, taking turns having their heads forced underwater while the other sings.[5]
In 2016, the twins appeared in the short film for Beyoncé's album Lemonade as members of Beyonce's farm utopia that offers a safe space for black women. In May 2016, Ibeyi returned to Havana for live performances at the CHANEL 2016 Cruise collection in Cuba and the international music festival MUSICABANA.[12]
Their 2017 album Ash was nominated for IMPALA's European Album of the Year Award.[13]
In 2021, Ibeyi released a new ethereal song for the soundtrack of the film How to Stop a Recurring Dream. The track continues their exploration of soulful and otherworldly sounds.
Their recordings also show a strong and spiritual connection to their Yoruba roots, as do the name and themes.[15] They also pay tribute to Santería, a syncretism practiced by many Afro-Cubans, and many Cubans in general.[16]