Once a week, a group of musicians gathers at Louisville native Gregory Acker’s home. A wooden lodge in the backyard transforms into a studio, buzzing with conversation as each band member clicks open the cases of their saxophones, Andean flutes, congas and guitars. They hail from all over the world: Ecuador, Canary Islands, Spain, Mexico, New Hampshire and Kentucky.
During this week’s practice, Yapa! is preparing for WorldFest 2025, one of Louisville’s largest annual cultural celebrations, and where they’ve performed for more than a decade. For this year’s performance, lead vocalist and guitarist Beatriz Perez, originally from Spain, said she wants people to get up and dance.
“[Some] Americans will never dance Latin dance,” Perez said. “They experience a whole different culture that they’re not used to in the vibe, in the energy, in the crowd. There’s a lot of cultural elements that not only come from us, but from the people around us.”
All their original songs and covers are in Spanish and reflect some members’ personal experiences.
“Our music supports the immigrant community in its lyrics, in its appeal,” Acker said. “It’s a lot of music that we play. It brings people together on the dance floor. It brings them into sing-alongs.”…