Ibeyi processed just about every emotion in its set at World Cafe Live, from the ancestral anger and hunger of “Made Of Gold” to the present-day rage of “Rise Above (This Is Not America)”; from the coy sensuality of “Juice Of Mandarins” to the raw carnality of its cover of Janet Jackson’s “Would You Mind”; from Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz’s joyous ode to their own unbreakable twinship “Sister 2 Sister” to the endless cycle of love, loss, and longing of “Me Voy”; from the intimate grief of “Mama Says” to the collective catharsis of “Tears Are Our Medicine.” And the crowd was with them all the way, dancing, singing, praising and screaming so loud the ancestors could appreciate the journey.
Opener Ojerime brought her own vibe (and her own DJ), with a lovely voice and hit-worthy hooks that would only benefit from being part of something bigger. She could be just a song away.
—M.J. Fine; photos by Chris Sikich
