The ensemble takes its name from Avempace – Abū-Bakr Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn al-Sāyigh (Arabic أبو بكر محمد بن يحيى بن الصائغ), also known as Ibn Baya (Arabic: ابن باجة), the Arab Andalusian polymath who was also a musician, and is dedicated to the music of medieval Arab Spain. The founding members were Eduardo Paniagua and Omar Metioui.