Ibeyi discuss their new song ‘Made of Gold’ ft. Pa Salieu, the highs and lows of the industry and why Adele sent them into a twerking frenzy.
I meet Ibeyi, the twin sister duo made up of Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz, ahead of their new album release and latest song and music video with Pa Salieu Made of Gold. “The song is about us reconnecting, or making people try to reconnect, with their ancestors,” explains Lisa. Before I sit down with them, I am told they are recording a podcast. I begin to conjure up an image of loungewear and maybe some trainers - it’s only audio after all. When I see them, their stilettos instantly catch my eye as they casually don 6 inch stilts whilst perched on the sofa across from me.
The duo aren’t unfamiliar with the fashion industry. In 2016, they performed at Chanel’s Resort 2016/2017 show in Cuba, followed by a hypnotic concert on the San Cristóbal cathedral square. Although born in Paris, the sisters spent their first two years in Havana, Cuba, before moving back to Paris where they grew up with their French-Venezuelian mother and manager Maya Dagnino and Cuban father, of Yoruba descent, Anga Díaz: a Grammy Award-winning musician famous for his work as part of Cuban band, Irakere. In 2006, when the girls were 11, their father passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack.
“He didn't force us to do music or give us lessons just because he was a musician,” explains Naomi. “He was more like, do you. Our mum was more like she didn't want us to be artists or entertainers or musicians. I think she wanted us to do music to have a connection with him. We went to music schools and she was there like, ‘have you done your homework?’ When we were going to see our dad for holidays or when we would go to see him she would tell our dad they need to practice at least 20 minutes a day. We were like ‘no, I want to do something else’ and then he’d say fine let's do something else.”
“But he did give us so much through his own journey,” adds Lisa, “because our dad mixed all kinds of music. Every kind of music that touched him deep, and he felt a deep link with, he mixed in his albums, and so therefore we, by example, saw that, and did it instinctively when we started making our own music. It was not even a thought, just by example it was what we had around us. He was really free in his music making.”
Growing up and navigating sibling dynamics is difficult enough but when you’re a twin, those troubles can often be magnified. Yes, you have a best friend for life but as a teenager trying to figure yourself out and form your own identity whilst constantly being lumped together with someone else could understandably at times feel tiresome. For Lisa and Naomi, establishing separate identities wasn’t an issue. “We were really different from the get go,” admits Naomi.
“We knew we were different and we embraced it,” chimes in Lisa, nodding in agreement. “We really are polar opposites. Like the moment our mum saw us, she always says that Naomi was jiggling around like a crazy baby and I was asleep face first. So she knew from the get go these are two polar energies and we've always been like that. I think, then, also seeing the other one being so different kind of confirms your own energy so we built each other in opposition but it was also from a real, you know, essence.”
When asked if a sister duo came along by chance, they both frantically nod. “100%! It's almost like we tried to escape it and it kept coming back into the picture,” says Lisa. But now, in retrospect, could they ever imagine doing it with anyone else? “NO,” they both exclaim. “I can't imagine doing this, let alone doing it without her,” admits Lisa. “Like, I would not do this alone. It is insane! I don't understand how people can do this alone. I think it's an insane thing to do. The pressure you put on yourself, the pressure of everything that is around, but not just that but the journey and the highs and lows they all have consequences, they all are really intense energy that you need to work on and people do that alone and that’s why people say fame is, you know, they say fame turns you crazy and it’s not normal, but it is not normal! And I think that you need to be really strong to be able to handle that. I'm grateful that I'm not alone and that I am with her. We always wanted to offer something that is different, something that is truly us and is unique, and being two of us helps because it's already the melting of your energy and mine and that makes it really very special. I think when you're alone trying to do something different is really difficult.”
Naomi describes Lisa as seeing music as a way to bring everyone together, holding hands - “a Kumbaya in front of the fire.” They both laugh, comfortable with poking fun at each other after 26 years. “The feeling I have when I am on stage with Naomi in front of an audience and there's the split second where it's osmosis, they are singing so loud because you've got them there right and the song is loud and everything… I've never experienced that anywhere like it's the biggest drug it's the biggest high of my life: and that I get to experience almost every night when I tour, and I would not give that away for anything.” The pair tell me that everything and anything is a source of inspiration and to document it all, they use good old pen and paper. “I have books and books and books of just words,” Lisa tells me, before Naomi joins and they both concomitantly elaborate. “Notebooks, words and sentences.”
“Everything is an opportunity,” continues Lisa. ”Everything is beautiful. It’s like making magic with everyday; everyday things are holy which makes some people uncomfortable, which I understand, you know. There's a lot of writers that become single because their partner is like, you stole everything from my own experience…It makes a lot of people uncomfortable.” Naomi raises her eyebrows. “I wouldn’t like this.” She confessed that she’s a very private person.
When asked who stuck out as being a prevalent part of their career trajectory, Lisa and Naomi both cite their producer and founder of XL Records, Richard Russell. “Every time we are in the studio, we learn so much from each other,” says Lisa. “There's something special.” But what was it about him that made them trust him? “We knew. It’s instinct. We opened the door and it smelt like incense. We looked at each other and we were like it's here - and we hadn't seen him yet! And then we went upstairs and he was sat down and we were like it's him.” Naomi nods in agreement. |
“He didn't talk much. Almost nothing. He asked the perfect questions, like it was so…” Lisa clicks her fingers as though to illustrate an epiphany.
“It was the one question that we needed.”
“I mean there's a lot of people,” adds Naomi. “There's a lot of artists that helped our journey. I think we’re well surrounded.”
Thus far in their career, Ibeyi have appeared on Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade, whilst also catching the eye of Adele. Lisa remembers the moment vividly. “I remember when Adele put a post on her Instagram about us and we twerked in the green room for like hours because this is insane, you know?!” Naomi takes a more calm and collected standpoint. “It's not because of how big they are or their names, it's because they like the music and because they were connected it helped our journey too. I think it's just human to human connection, you know?”
Lisa and Naomi spoke earlier about the symbiotic pairing and instant connection with Richard, but surely that was a one off? “Most of the people who we’ve had feature were like little miracles,” explains Lisa. “Someone went out to get coffee and the manager of the person was there and then they were like, they would love to work with the band and then they come to the studio to work, or it's someone we love and we send a message and they're like I'll do it tomorrow.” By this time in the interview, I’d gotten a fairly clear sense of Lisa and Naomi. Lisa is the dreamer, the one prone to worrying, the grounded soul, whilst Naomi is more guarded and yet simultaneously more free-willed. Together, they really are a force to be reckoned with. Naomi continues, explaining their process when collaborating and working with people. “It always has to be organic, not simple because I don't like the word simple, but…” Lisa interjects.
“Meant to be?”
“Meant to be.”
