French-Cuban twins Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz were born to make music. Literally. Their father was the renowned Cuban percussionist Miguel “Anga” Diaz, best known for his work with the Buena Vista Social Club. Their mother, Maya Dagnino, is a French-Venezuelan singer, and also their manager. The Diaz sisters, who perform under the name Ibeyi (pronounced ee-bey-ee, and the Yoruban word for “twins”), are catching the attention of music fans around the world with their mix of traditional Afro-Cuban music with big city genres like hip hop, jazz and soul. Among their fans is Richard Russell, who personally signed them to his label XL Recordings (home of Adele, The XX, and Vampire Weekend, to name a few of their artists). Did I mention the Diaz sisters are only 20 years old?
I catch up with Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé on a tour stop in Philadelphia via Skype. The girls are curled up on a bed, staring into the screen with doe-eyed clarity. Lisa-Kaindé, the soft spoken singer and pianist, could not be more different from Naomi, the cool-as-ice percussionist who favors hip hop to her sister’s downtempo and “oldies” influence. Despite their differences in taste, they complete each other’s sentences, erupt into inexplicable giggles and do not hold back their enthusiasm when discussing the recent attention the music has received and all the adventures in front of them. In other words, they are the embodiment of youth.
The girls grew up splitting their time between Cuba and Paris, where they now reside. Music was omnipresent on either side of the Atlantic, and Yoruba (a West African language that came to Cuba many centuries ago) was an especially important influence on them. While they speak speak French, Spanish and English fluently, they prefer to sing exclusively in English and Yoruba.
“In Cuba, it’s a dead language, only priests can speak it,” says Naomi. “A few singers and musicians can [also] speak it. But we sing it!”
“[Our mother] took us to her Yoruba choir [in Paris],” adds Lisa-Kaindé. “She began to sing Yoruba at 18 without knowing anything about Cuba. Yoruba music has been in our family for a long time.”
While the girls never aspired to be like their parents, music was in their blood. Lisa-Kaindé wanted to be a music teacher, and Naomi began playing the West African/Peruvian cajón and batá drums the day after her father died.
“The batás are the percussion that you use for Yoruba ceremonies,” says Naomi.
The sisters began singing and writing music at 15. A few years later, a live version of their song “Mama Says” ended up in the hands of the aforementioned Russell, which the girls chalk up to divine intervention.
“It’s a miracle!” Lisa-Kaindé exclaims, her eyes lighting up like moonstones.
“The best one!” follows Naomi, throwing her hands in the air.
Russell also produced their debut album, an eclectic mix of their heritage and influence that Lisa-Kaindé describes as “negro spirituals [done] in a contemporary way”.
“Think of You” is a tribute to their late father, sampling his famous conga playing underneath a mixture of English and Yoruban melodies. “River” has a catchy neo-soul groove, showcasing Naomi’s percussion skills and Lisa-Kaindé’s vocal style. The album’s intro “Eleggua” is an homage to the Yoruban deity, or Orisha, of pathways and crossroads. At times, Lisa-Kaindé can sound like Björk. Elsewhere she is channeling a young Nina Simone, her “goddess”, or a young Kate Bush.
“I’m obsessed with voices. I love to listen to Bulgarian voices, it drives me crazy!” she says.
So how does it feel, to go from being two (sort of) regular teenagers in Paris to international acclaim and a hectic tour schedule?
“It’s just the start!” says Lisa-Kaindé. “We don’t even know what is going to happen to us for the next year and a half.”
Next week’s Vancouver show will mark their third trip to Canada, and first to Vancouver. Right after, they will fly back to Europe for more touring, and then back to the US, Japan and Australia. They are booked solid until mid-2016, a fact they could not be happier about. “We are travelling all around the world and doing what we want to do. We are thankful!” says Naomi.
• Ibeyi play Fortune Sound Club on April 6 with Flo Morrissey. Doors at 8pm.
