Ibeyi deepens African family ties
The Diaz sisters give traditional rhythms a modern makeover
For 21 years, Naomi and Lisa-Kainde Diaz have known each other as only twin siblings can. Yet the French-Cuban sisters behind the soulful duo Ibeyi say they truly met just a few years ago.
In conversation, the two finish each other’s thoughts, as twins often do. “I started composing at the age of 14 and when someone asked me if I wanted to record an EP, Naomi told me, ‘You can’t possibly develop this project without me,’” Lisa says.
Naomi interjects: “True! That’s how Ibeyi started and that’s how we met on another level than just being sisters and sharing the same parents and the same home.”
The Diaz twins say they are “almost opposites” in life, but they play complementary roles in Ibeyi. Lisa plays piano, while Naomi handles percussion instruments including the cajón and batá drums. When they sing, the Diaz sisters make a singular sound that builds upon Latin rhythms, modern electro-soul, and the folk music of Yoruba — their father renowned Cuban percussionist Miguel “Angà” Diaz’s cultural homeland in Africa. “I realize now that I wouldn’t have done all of this on my own,” Lisa says. “We need both energies to do this.”
Together, their sound is so striking that Ibeyi’s 2015 self-titled debut album racked up breathless reviews around the world. Even Beyoncé featured the sisters in her “Lemonade” video.
Despite his musical background, their father didn’t push them to pursue music. “Our father thought we had to find any means of expression that fulfilled us,” Naomi says. “It could have been dancing or painting. It’s our mother who enrolled us in music school, because she believes we’re happier if we can play an instrument.”
The sisters grew up in France and Cuba taking in the sounds of various worldly musical inflections, from traditional Yoruba chants to modern hip-hop. When the twins were 17, they created Ibeyi to make something of Lisa’s early songwriting efforts. The roots of their sound seem minimalist on the surface. But the two fuse drums, piano, and vocals to achieve a vast and exotic effect. When they decided to record an album, producer Richard Russell helped them sculpt their signature sound.
Indeed, Ibeyi’s sound is an intoxicating mix of organic and electronic beats, from the radiant vocal choruses in “Oya” to the hip-shaking rhythms in “Ghosts” and “River” to the beautiful lament for lost loved ones in “Mama Says” and “Yanira.” Themes of loss, love, and hope recur throughout the album, but it’s the sisters’ shared history, their culture, and their family lineage that loom largest.