Ibeyi

Ibeyi
Origin Paris, France
Genres Soul, R&B, downtempo, Electronic, experimental
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriters, musicians
Instruments Vocals, piano, percussion
Years active 2013–present
Labels XL Recordings
Website ibeyi.fr
Members Lisa-Kaindé Diaz
Naomi Diaz

Ibeyi is a French-Cuban musical duo consisting of twin sisters, Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz.[1] The duo sings in English and Yoruba,[2] — 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 Cuban percussion instruments cajón and Batá drum, while Lisa also plays piano.[3]

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.[2]

Early life and career

The twins were born in Cuba, where they lived for two years and often visited yearly on holiday, but were primarily raised in Paris, where they currently reside.[3] Their father was the famed Cuban percussionist, Anga Díaz, who as 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, the twins, then age 11 years old, learned to play his signature instrument the cajón, and studied the folks songs of Yoruba.[4] Their mother is French-Venezuelan singer, Maya Dagnino, who serves as their manager and encouraged Lisa-Kainde's songwriting.[5][6] In 2013 they signed to the record label, XL Recordings.[2][7] Label owner Richard Russell is the only other contributor to their self-titled debut album, released in 2015.[3]

At the age of 20, they released their self-titled debut album. The album pays tribute to their deceased father and the track Yanira immortalizes the duo’s older sister, who died in 2013. The end of the song trails off with a synth that sounds like a life support monitor.[3] In 2014, they received attention for the video for their album’s second single, "River". 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.[3]

Influences

As well as their father Anga Díaz, the duo claims Frank Ocean, James Blake, and King Krule among their influences.[1] In live shows, they have covered rapper Jay Electronica’s Better in Tune with the Infinite and others.

Their recordings also show a strong and spiritual connection to their Yoruba roots, as do the name and themes. The Yoruba tribe they descend from presents the highest dizygotic (fraternal) twinning rate in the world (4.4 % of all maternities). The high perinatal mortality rate associated with such pregnancies has contributed to the integration of a special twin belief system within the African traditional religion of this tribe.[8]

They also pay tribute to Santería, a syncretism practiced by many Afro-Cubans.

Discography

Albums

Year Title Peak positions Certification
BEL
(Vl)
[9]		 BEL
(Wa)
[10]		 FR
[11]		 NED
[12]		 UK
 US
2015 Ibeyi 73 44 14 52 36 166

EPs

Year EP Peak positions Notes
FR
[11]
2014 Oya EP  – Tracklist
  1. "Oya" (3:53)
  2. "River" (4:12)
  3. "Oya" (Oya Capella) (3:30)
  4. "River" (Oshun Dub) (5:03)

Singles

Year Single Peak positions Album
BEL
(Vl)
[9]		 BEL
(Wa)
[10]		 FR
[11]
2015 "River" 84
(Ultratip)		 49
(Ultratip)		 71 Ibeyi

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "About". Ibeyi. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Rhick Samadder (2015-02-15). "Sister act: the twins behind Ibeyi". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Jay Balfour (2015-02-20). "Half Yoruba spiritual and half electronic R&B, Ibeyi’s debut is drenched in rhythm and quirky originality.". hiphopdx. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
  4. ↑ "New Music from Ibeyi". Irish Times. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  5. ↑ Tim Jonze (October 30, 2014). "Meet Ibeyi: French-Cuban twins with a musical sixth sense". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
  6. ↑ Jim Carroll (February 15, 2015). "Ibeyi: the French Cuban teenagers about to take the music world by storm". Irish Times. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Les morceaux de la semaine de JD Beauvallet". Les Inrocks. Retrieved 2014-04-13.
  8. ↑ Fernand Leroy; Taiwo Olaleye-Oruene; Gesina Koeppen-Schomerus; Elizabeth Bryan (2002). "Yoruba Customs and Beliefs Pertaining to Twins". Twin Research Volume 5 Number 2. Retrieved 2015-05-22. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Ibeyi discography". ultrato.be/nl/. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Ibeyi discography". ultrato.be/fr/. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Ibeyi discography". lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  12. ↑ "Ibeyi discography". dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 February 2014.

External links