Kehinde Lijadu, one half of the the Lijadu Sisters, has died

Kehinde Lijadu has died, one half of the seminal Nigerian duo the Lijadu Sisters, has died at age 71, following a battle with cancer, the Guardian reports. “A tree has fallen!!!!” her bandmate and sister writes on the GoFundMe that Pitchfork notes was set up for her memorial service. “Kehinde was my light, my love, my soul mate... my everything. I am bereft and will miss her dearly.”

The Sisters — actually identical twins — played a unique mix of Afrobeat, soul, disco, rock, reggae, and R&B. They also sprinkled plenty of politics into their music, much like their second-cousin Fela Kuti, according to the Guardian. They were active in Nigeria from 1969-1979, before moving to New York. They eventually fell out of music, before renewed appreciation this decade brought reissues of their music and performances alongside stars such as David Byrne, Damon Albarn, and Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor.