Yazmin & Beat Zero at the Park

HAYWARD — Back by popular demand, Yazmin & Beat Zero will be performing

at the Park Center in Hayward on Friday, July 26, at 7:30 p.m. as part of their “Going Home Tour ’24.” This powerhouse trio serves up a unique blend of lyric-driven folk rock mixed with Cuban rhythms, jazz-informed harmonies and classical foundations. Pour some blues, R&B, funk, Latin jazz and rock into a tall glass and start summer with this refreshing concoction of soulful music.

The show features Yazmin’s powerful keyboard playing and soaring vocals, as well as the talents of her world-class band: Grammy-nominated Álvaro Benavides from New York City on bass and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Gillespie from Minneapolis on drums.

Yazmin, who now resides in New Orleans, was born and raised in Washburn by professional musician parents. Her father, T. Bruce Bowers, was a founding member of the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua and her mother, Hope McLeod, a frequent performer there. At age 12, after attending a concert by Miami-based Cuban-jazz group Tiempo Libre, Yazmin instantly fell in love with Afro-Cuban jazz and dedicated herself wholeheartedly to learning about these rich traditions. Her passion for this music led her to study privately for over a decade with author, educator and Latin music connoisseur Rebeca Mauleón-Santana. She later went on to receive a full scholarship in piano and composition at McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul and eventually traveled to Cuba to continue her studies. She still visits the island frequently, where she now leads music and dance-focused group trips.

Simultaneously, from a very young age she’s been honing the craft of songwriting and composition. This has earned her awards such as Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua Songwriter of the Year, and opening slots for artists such as Nanci Griffith and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. She’s released three albums to date and is currently working on her fourth.

This particular version of Beat Zero was put together by Yazmin last year after a several-year pause through the pandemic, during which she lost her father, Bruce, to cancer. Last summer, Beat Zero enjoyed a successful Midwest tour and they are eager to get back on the road.

Alvaro Benavides was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and later moved to Boston to attend Berkeley College of Music. He’s had a full, happy career performing with the likes of Pedrito Martinez, Wynton Marsalis and Ruben Blades. He now lives between New York City and Bogotá, Colombia. Andrew Gillespie is from Minneapolis and has studied music in Brazil, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Miami and New Orleans, to name a few. After living in New York City for six years, he returned to Minneapolis, where he currently performs with many Latin, neo-soul, funk and New Orleans-style groups, most notably the Akie Bermiss Trio (of Lake Street Dive).

Drawing inspiration from the likes of Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Queen and countless Cuban artists, Yazmin and Beat Zero’s music is a melting pot of ingredients. Their songs weave between both English and Spanish with ease, inviting listeners to cross between worlds with each note. Yazmin’s songwriting is honest and soul-baring, diving into subjects such as creative burnout, finding one’s life purpose, immigration and, above all, love. Along with these original songs, they also interpret familiar classics with their own twist. You may be equally called to dance or to shed a tear before the night is over.

In the words of the late songwriter icon Nanci Griffith: “… How brilliant is she? She is absolutely fantastic. What a voice, what a keyboard player, just absolutely extraordinary!”

Tickets are available at: Out Of The Woods Winery in Hayward, Redbery Books in Cable and Whistle Punk in Stone Lake or online at www.theparkcenter.com.

For more info and to hear Yazmin’s music: www.yazminmusic.com.