Ibeyi

Born in Paris in 1994 — after spending their first two years in Havana and then growing up in France — Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Díaz, as Ibeyi, create music that blends soul, contemporary R&B, downtempo, trip-hop and electronic pop, with Yoruba and Afro‑Cuban rhythms at its heart. The name Ibeyi, meaning “twins” in Yoruba, refers both to their identity and to their family heritage, shaped by their father, Cuban percussionist Anga Díaz, and their mother, the Franco‑Venezuelan singer Maya Dagnino. In Ibeyi, Lisa‑Kaindé sings and plays piano while Naomi handles percussion — notably cajón and batá drums; the duo switches between English, French, Spanish and Yoruba. Signed to XL Recordings in 2013, Ibeyi released the Oya EP in 2014 and their debut album Ibeyi in 2015, built around spare songwriting, traditional percussion and electronic textures. With Ash (2017) they broadened their sonic palette, featuring guests such as Kamasi Washington and Mala Rodríguez. Ibeyi also appear in the film accompanying Beyoncé’s Lemonade (2016). After the track “Recurring Dream” (2021) for the film How to Stop a Recurring Dream, they returned with Spell 31 in 2022 — a more direct statement that also includes appearances by Pa Salieu and Jorja Smith.