Ibeyi are French-Cuban twins, Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé Diaz. They grew up in Paris and are daughters of late Cuban percussionist Angá Diaz, who played with Buena Vista Social Club.

Naomi plays percussive instruments, the Cajon and the Batas, whilst Lisa plays piano. Together the sisters have learned the songs of their father’s culture, Yoruba. Lisa is the songwriter of the group.

Yoruba travelled from West Africa to Cuba with slavery in the 1700s. The Yoruba people have the highest twinning rate in the world, and twins occupy an important position within Yoruba culture. Ibeyi is pronounced “ee-bey-ee,” and means “twins” in Yoruba.

Ibeyi sing in English, French, Yoruba and Spanish, and have created a minimalist sound that merges elements of their heritage with their natural love for modern music. They cite artists such as Frank Ocean, James Blake, and King Krule amongst their wide range of influences. Their music fuses jazz with beats, samples with traditional instruments.

At the age of 20, they released their debut self-titled album. The album pays tribute to their deceased father and the track “Yanira” immortalizes the duo’s older sister, who died in 2013. In 2014, they received attention for the video for their album’s second single, “River.” The twin sisters appear in a close-up shot throughout, taking turns having their heads forced underwater while the other sings.

In 2015, the sisters were endorsed by Beyoncé, and the following year they took part in Bey’s Lemonade.

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