Over the weekend, I attended a matinee to see a production of Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. The show was impeccable. ‘Deep’ is a new addition to their incredible list of dance performances. The music associated with the dances was captivating. I was sitting in my seat memorized by the dancing because the pairing of the music with the dance was out of this world.
During the performance, I flipped through my program to find more about the music; it was so compelling and rich with vibrations and elements of soul, the Carribean, African tribal sounds of the earth blended with rhythmic vocals by the French-Cuban musical duo, twin sisters, Ibeyi.
The sound of Ibeyi is a bright mixture of music genres. Their soothing voices have an earthy allure, yet peaceful. Music runs in their family. Their father was the famed Cuban percussionist, Anga Díaz, who received a Grammy for his work with the Latin jazz band Irakere and was also a member of Buena Vista Social Club.
In 2013, they signed to the record label, XL Recordings and released their self-titled debut album in 2015. To our surprise, we learned that the twins appeared in Beyoncé’s short film for her video album Lemonade.
Ibeyi delivers a deeply soulful, earthy and magical CD. From tracks like, ‘River’, ‘Oya’, ‘Mama Says’ and ‘Stranger / Lover’ you can hear the natural sounds amplified throughout each track. You are taken on a journey to far away lands, like Cuba, Spain, and the Mother Land.
Their vocals are haunting and powerful, creating beautiful music and sounds. Ibeyi’s sound is like no other. We highly recommend downloading their self-titled debut album.
