IBIYEWA

photo: Maël Lagadec

The Brussels-based trio IBIYEWA is releasing its debut album Magnificent Friday in spring 2025.

Initiated by Beninese drummer Angelo Moustapha, protégé of Philip Catherine, the group IBIYEWA brings together strong personalities from the Belgian capital: guitarist Joel Rabesolo, a leading artist of the young generation in Madagascar, and the unmissable Toine Thys, a Belgian saxophonist involved in multiple projects.
They can be found at festivals in Dakar, Luanda, Kinshasa, Ouagadougou, Antananarivo, Brussels, Liège and many other cities to come.
Their debut album “Vendredi Magnifique” celebrates partying, freedom, and the night. It is a compilation of pieces written by the three artists, blending acoustic and fully electronic worlds, all tied together by a relentless groove. Imagine the crossing of the rhythms of a master Beninese drummer, the dancing harmonies of a Malagasy guitarist, and the melodic improvisations of a saxophonist in love with the equator.

The name IBIYEWA, which means “Here resembles us” in Yoruba, reflects their desire to transcend cultural boundaries and create music that brings people together. Their sound is an eclectic blend of African rhythms, grooves, electro textures, captivating melodies, and bold improvisations. The result is a music that makes the audience vibrate and carries them away in a whirlwind of sounds and rhythms.


Everywhere they perform, from Brussels to Ouagadougou, from Conakry to Tananarive, from Luanda to Paris, joy and smiles take hold of their audience.

 

listen to the album Vendredi Magnifique here

VIDEOS

ANGELO MOUSTAPHA (BJ) : drums (Lionel Loueke, Philip Catherine, Wiliam Kentridge)

TOINE THYS (BE) : saxophones et électronique (Sam Yahel, Hervé Samb)

JOEL RABESOLO (MG) : guitare (Linley Marthe, D’Gary)