Ibeyi, “Ibeyi” review: There’s power in quiet beauty

By Ashley Dean | February 17th, 2015
If you haven’t heard of Ibeyi yet, it’s time you did. There has been some talk about the 20-year-old French-Cuban twins Lisa-Kainde and Naomi Diaz since the release of the single “River” last summer, but that was mostly only heard by the people who make it their business to find new talent. With this self-titled debut, hopefully, Ibeyi will find a larger audience.

Ibeyi means “twins” in Yoruba (a Nigerian language) and it’s only right that the sisters chose lean into twinhood a bit. Their voices fit together perfectly — so well that the harmonies could be coming from the same set of vocal chords. They make it clear from the start, with an a cappella intro, that their slightly-breathy-but-unwavering voices will be the heart of this record. They never need to belt to prove the strength of their voices, and they slip smoothly from Yoruba to English and back again, proving themselves equally comfortable with a straining Yoruba chant as they are with cool Parisian jazz.

Modern production swirls beneath their voices — a mix of deep Afro-Cuban roots and a swing of jazz and soul. They’re backed mostly by hip-swinging rhythms, somber strings or soft Cuban percussion.

The songs simmer on low for the duration of “Ibeyi.” It’s beautiful for being so soft and understated, but it still leaves you wishing there had, at some point, been a little more fire. There’s a distinct feeling that should the Diaz sisters want to unleash something powerful, they could, and it would knock you over. The emotions are there. “Yanira” is for their older sister, who died of a stroke. “Behind the Curtain” is absolutely heartbreaking, too, between the mournful piano and the quiet sadness with which the sisters sing, “Where are you now / My man, my father / Far from my life for good.” And there’s “Think of You,” a likely homage to their father, Cuban percussionist Anga Diaz, who died of a heart attack when they were 11 years old. But rather than cry out in anguish, they mourn quietly.
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