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

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