President Alien (CD - 2003)

Yerba Buena: Xiomara Laugart, El Chino (vocals); Andres Levin (acoustic, electric & 12-string guitars, Wurlitzer piano, Farfisa organ, keyboards, synthesizer); Sebastian Steinberg (guitar, banjo, bass); Ron Blake (flute, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, background vocals); Rashawn Ross (trumpet, background vocals); Pedro Martinez (drums, tambora, congas, bata, shekere, bells, background vocals); Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez (drums, cowbell, background vocals); Terron Gully (drums); Cucu Diamantes (background vocals).

Additional personnel: Stic (vocals); Marc Ribot (guitar, tres); Dave Valentin (flute); Roy Hargrove, Brian Lynch (trumpet); Money Mark (piano, Clavinet); Me'Shell Ndegeocello (bass, background vocals); DJ Squat (turntables).

Recorded at Fun Machine, Magic Shop, New York, New York, and Ilia Do Sapos Studios, Bahia, Brazil.

PRESIDENT ALIEN was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album.

Personnel: Xiomara Laugart (vocals, chant); Andres Levin (vocals, guitar, slide guitar, Farfisa, keyboards, bass synthesizer, programming, background vocals); Sebastian Steinberg (vocals, guitar, banjo); Rashawn Ross (vocals, trumpet, background vocals); Pedro Martinez (vocals, drums, congas, bata, rattle, percussion, bells, background vocals); Horacio "El Negro" Hernández (vocals, drums, cowbells); Carlinhos Brown (vocals, timbales); Descemer Bueno (guitar, tres, background vocals); Ahmed Barroso (acoustic guitar, wah-wah guitar, tres, background vocals); David Fiuczynski (electric guitar); Marc Ribot (tres); Dave Valentin (flute); Ron Blake (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Yosvany Terry (alto saxophone, organ); Roy Hargrove, Brian Lynch (trumpet); Avi Lebovich (trombone); Dafnis Prieto (drums, timbales); Tosin Aribisala, Terreon Gully (drums); Soul Fingers (drum programming); John Schmersal (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Andres Levin; Tim Latham.

Recording information: Fun Machine Studios, New York, NY; Llia Do Sapos, Bahia, Brazil; Magic Shop, New York, NY.

Editor: Mark Fellows.

Photographer: Mark Seliger.

Arrangers: Ahmed Barroso; Descemer Bueno.

Yerba Buena, a Latin/urban fusion project spearheaded by Andres Levin (who's worked with crossover artists ranging from Arto Lindsay to Tia Carrere), isn't too much more than the sum of its parts. Fortunately, however, those parts are certainly astonishing enough to create a breathtaking record capable of hooking fans from some wide-ranging styles: hip-hop, trance, R&B, and of course, Latin music. Comprised mostly of Cubans or natives of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Yerba Buena has a command over Latin forms that erases national boundaries and pulverizes time constraints -- moving deftly from guajira to salsa to son, they're also perfectly adept at incorporating the music of the American street circa 2003 into forms more familiar to farmers in Cuban fields circa 1939. The open-ended character of the jam "Guajira" permits vocals from a traditional Latin chorus as well as nods to urban radio. Lead diva Xiomara Laugart melds house music and salsa with all the power and energy of la India, while rapper el Chino fills in with some solid rhymes and a few party-vocal asides. The band is perfectly fluent and a powerhouse unit, while the roster of guests is startling in its variety -- Carlinhos Brown, Bobby Valentin, Me'Shell NdegéOcello, Money Mark, Marc Ribot, and Roy Hargrove, among many others. In essence, Yerba Buena is simply pulling the same trick that boogaloo popsters and salsafied funksters did during the '60s and '70s (respectively), updating Latin music with touches to intrigue listeners who wouldn't normally be listening to it. In that, they're tremendously successful. ~ John Bush minimize