On their self-titled album, Ibeyi sing to their deceased father, sister and the orishas (like in “River”), while weaving together hip-hop, jazz and electronica. “We believe that art is a spiritual ?path,” explained Lisa and Naomi, who are also deeply-rooted in the widely practiced Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria. “?A way to connect to ourselves and to others. A way to be present and a way to share.”
Since their formal debut (2015), the duo has traversed the globe singing songs as haunting as the women and circumstances that created them. Between then and now, the twins appeared in the short film for Beyoncé’s album Lemonade, as members of Queen Bey’s utopian space for black women; landed on the cover of Fader for their diasporic issue; and returned to Havana for live performances at the Chanel 2016 Cruise collection and international music festival Musicabana. But for the women who intrinsically link music to their spirituality, Ibeyi offer no late ethereal contributions.
A new post on Instagram, however, suggests the twins have a thing up their sleeves. “Can’t wait to bring you something special this Friday!” they shared with 76.5K of their followers. Is it a new single? A fresh collabo? Wishful thinking says they’ve got a new album on the way. Let’s pray to the gods that be it’s true.
Stay tuned for updates.