People of Ibiza: Jordi Carreño & Awa Djabou Baidi
The architect and yoga instructor met in Ibiza, where both have developed creative practices in tune with the unique rhythm of the island.
Jordi Carreño, CEO and architect, Estudio Vila 13
‘My father was from Madrid and my mother was from Ibiza. She was raised in one of only six or seven prominent families based in Dalt Vila. My great-grandfather was the only doctor on the island; my grandfather and his brothers were all doctors or pharmacists and one of them was a famous poet. Even my mother and my aunt went to the university, which was unusual at the time. Historically, my family owned several farms – the land where our hotel, Xereca, now sits, was one of the original farms. I left the island to go to boarding school in Madrid when I was 13 and I didn’t return to Ibiza until I was 29. Being ibicenco makes me very aware of the responsibility I have towards my homeland. Around 75 per cent of our work at Estudio Vila 13 is the renovation of old properties, to improve them, to protect them and to make them usable for the future. We must be willing to make the island better for everyone, and that means creating affordable houses for low-income families as well as luxurious ones for the top of the market. It’s a challenge, but Ibiza is an extraordinary island and we must work hard to preserve its magic.’
Awa Djabou Baidi, yoga instructor
‘I was born in Cameroon, and I lived in France for many years before I arrived in Ibiza by chance. I felt an instant change in myself. It was somewhere I felt immediately at home. If you had told me as a child that I would be living in Ibiza teaching yoga, I would never have believed you. I was a model when I was younger and fitness has always been a part of my life, but yoga was too slow for me. The yoga I share is very much my own style. It’s powerful. The beauty of teaching yoga in Ibiza is that the people in my classes reflect the complex cultural community of the island. There might be an entrepreneur, a chef, a sportsperson and a backpacker. Yoga unites us all. As a mother, I am very aware of the way in which our children are raised in Ibiza to integrate with people of all ages and from all backgrounds. If they can learn to move through life with humility and grace, then I’ll be happy. I have aways said that if you arrive in Ibiza and you respect others, you will find your place. And I think this was mine. I stay very connected to my African roots and I am deeply grateful for Ibiza’s natural beauty and for the freedom to express myself in my own way.’
