Ibeyi
Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz are the two soulful, Cuban-French singers behind Ibeyi (ee-bey-ee). “Ibeyi” means “twins” in their ancestral Yoruban language.
Naomi (L) and Lisa-Kaindé (R). May/June 2017 cover of The FADER Magazine. Photography by Amber Mahoney
Naomi (L) and Lisa-Kaindé (R). Image from Ibeyi’s Spotify profile
After enjoying a rhythm-pumped show at Brooklyn Steel during their 2017 Ash tour, we stopped by the Ibeyi merch table. One quickly realizes that Ibeyi is a family affair, even beyond the fact that the two performers are twin sisters. Their mother is their manager, and she skillfully balances the protective/promotional pulls between the role of mother and manager.
That night, as always, Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé charmed the stage with their honeyed French accents and utilitarian jumpsuits. When performing, Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi are so explosive with energy they can barely keep seated in their stage stools. They sing in at least two languages: English and Yoruban, plus sprinkles of French and Spanish too. The sisters’ musical merit has been blessed by the queen bee herself—Ibeyi tout an appearance on Beyoncé’s Lemonade visual album.
As we’ve noticed with many musical twin duos, roles are divided between the two. Naomi holds it down on rhythm and percussion while Lisa-Kaindé generally leads melody and vocals. Lisa-Kaindé also serves as the spokeswoman for the duo, deferring to her for interstitial musings and thank-you’s in performance. Their music exudes intimacy and spirit—to watch or listen is to witness (twin) magic.
Ibeyi homepage thumbnail image via Amber Mahoney for The FADER
More Ibeyi:
Ibeyi’s Home, Anupa Mistry, The FADER, The Diaspora Issue #109, May/June 2017
5 Things to Know About Ibeyi, the Twin-Sister Duo From Beyoncé’s Lemonade [video], Natalie Rivera, POPSUGAR, May 2016
Meet Ibeyi: French-Cuban Twins with a Musical Sixth Sense, Tim Jonze, The Guardian, October 2014.
Ibeyi on Spotify
Ibeyi on Youtube