Latitudes: 10 Favorite Global Music Picks From 2015
Ibeyi frames their mostly English (and occasionally French) lyrics with Yoruba chants. Their self-identity is enveloped in the Afro-Cuban santeria tradition they inherited from their father, renowned Cuban percussionist Miguel “Angá” Díaz. Even the duo’s name is steeped in Yoruba meaning; “ibeji” means “twins” — and twins are both astoundingly common in West Africa and especially prized in Yoruba culture. From the big, thudding beats of “River” and the ecstasies of “Oya” to the sinking, strange harmonies of “Think of You” and the tender “Yanira,” this is a remarkable album from a pair of old souls.
from Stowe Boyd http://stoweboyd.com/post/136057517882
