Beyoncé and Birkenstocks do not often appear in the same circles. At least, that’s what you would naturally assume. But allow Bibi McGill to defy your expectations. The touring guitarist and musical director of Beyoncé’s ten-piece, all-female band (affectionately referred to as Suga Mama) has found peace of mind in Portland, but not in the music scene. For Bibi McGill, it’s all about healthy living, yoga, and kale chips.
With Beyoncé Knowles’s fourth album debuting at number one in the US and 13 other countries, you’d think it would be hard not to let that success overshadow the other band members. However with Bibi’s distinctive afro and tattoos, her rock star style and sex appeal, she stands out like a female Lenny Kravitz. Yet, she’s hardly defined by that.
Her ferocity on stage is contrasted by a solitary calmness off. Yoga may be Bibi’s true calling and it is central to her life off stage. A yogi of thirteen years and a certified instructor, she strives to practice every day, especially while on tour. It rejuvenates her body and gives her peace of mind away from the dynamic but draining performances.
Drawing pleasure from “low-key” key activities, Bibi relishes gardening, outdoor sports, raw food preparation, and spending time with her animals, family and friends—elements that sustain her. Rest, self-reflection and healthy eating maintain her life force, and she hopes to share these principles with the world through Bibi Kale Chips and her plans to create an “eco-empire” for food processing and community building.
Humbly, she’ll tell you she’s only interested being the best person she can be, but her consciousness will have an impact on the world at large. It requires a strong, sensible woman to balance all of these roles. It also takes a self-assured boldness to pick up and move to a city that you’ve never even seen.
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