Rising Latin Alternative stars to play Lotus

Yerba Buena doesn't just mean "good weed" anymore. The critically acclaimed afro-cuban band that bears the same name will be playing this weekend at Lotus Fest. The band, only a year old, is playing in Bloomington for the first time.\nDespite its youth, Yerba Buena has a rather famous lineup. There are too many members to mention here, but the most notable would be Xiomara Laugart, the famed Cuban singer on lead vocals, Pedro Martinez, the famed Cuban percussionist and former Soul Coughing bassist Sebastian Steinberg. Andres Levin, the band's guitarist, likens the twelve-member band to "an afro-cuban caravan with many front-people."\nThe band got its start a year ago due to Levin's motivation to experiment in different musical blends. "I wanted to find a vehicle to mix Latin music with Nigerian and hip-hop roots," Levin says. "It became a reality when I was introduced to Xiomara and we began to assemble our current all-star lineup." \nWhile the band has a large core lineup, John Reilly, the band's publicist, says that the other artists will perform at Andres' discretion, depending on the show.\nThe music is part of a new Latin Alternative movement. The lyrics are in English, Spanish and Yoruba. Reilly says Yoruba is more of a "cultural description" than an actual language. Yerba Buena's music, like the band, is hard to classify. \n"The music's foundation is a melting pot of afro-Cuban, afro-beat, cumbia, boogaloo, jazz and hip hop for now, but our sound is always changing," Levin says. "What makes us stand out is that we're playing well-constructed songs and putting on a great live show."\nA New York resident since 1989, Levin, who also produces Yerba Buena, has written for and produced artists ranging from Chaka Khan and Tina Turner to David Byrne and Arto Lindsay. His most recent credits include work with D'Angelo, Macy Gray, Dead Prez and Me'Shell NdegéOcello.\nLaura Connelly, a jazz and world music program manager, saw the band perform this year at the Hollywood Bowl's World Music Festival. \n"Their shows are a lot of fun. They're a really tight band," Connelly says. "They have a lot of energy, but you can tell there's a lot going on musically as well. They do a great job of mixing pop music with Latin influences and keeping it authentic." \nThe band receives a lot of acclaim for their live shows, having played big shows all over the world over the past year, including four performances as the opening act for the Dave Matthews Band. Levin says that was one of the band's big moments. "It was a great experience," he says. "We were even able to get those hardcore Dave fans on their feet." Reilly says that those shows made the record industry stand up and give the band some attention.\nConnelly says the band's uniqueness is what sets Yerba Buena apart from other groups. \n"Their pop-infused Cuban groove is both ear and eye catching," she says. "The audiences here in Los Angeles hadn't heard of Yerba Buena when they performed here, but by the end they'd won the audience over. They've got great music and really have their act together."\nThough without a label at the moment, Yerba Buena has already seen its share of success. In 2001, the band won "Best New Alternative Latin Artist" at the Latin American Music Conference. It has received praise from the likes of L.A. Times and The Village Voice.\nSoon fans of the band will have another way to enjoy its music, since Yerba Buena's debut album will be in stores sometime in early 2003. \n"We're finishing it up as we speak and it will be released independently on our label Fun Machine Records," Levin says. \nLevin also has several other projects lined up in the coming months. This includes production work with the Red Hot Organization for its new Fela Kuti Tribute CD, Red Hot + Riot.\nThough this isYerba Buena's first performance at Lotus Fest, the band has played similar festivals in Canada, Chicago and the UK. \nSo what can Bloomington music fans expect from Yerba Buena's shows this weekend? Levin isn't giving much away.\n"Just make sure you come ready to dance," he says.\nJason Gaddis contributed to this story.