Before Asher Roth and the Decemberists take the stage at Springfest on Sunday, those assembled on Chapels Field can expect to hear something a little less classifiable: the jazzy, Arabic fusion sounds of Mochila, a band composed of 11 Brandeis undergraduates and one alumnus who play instruments ranging from piano and violin to qanun and sitar. Mochila's appearance during the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts is apt, as it first performed at last year's festival. The project was conceived by Mohammad Kundos '10, who had just completed "Before Sunrise," his documentary about the experiences of Palestinian students at Brandeis. The film still needed a soundtrack, and rather than download a few instrumental pieces from the Internet, Kundos decided to write his own compositions and enlist friends and acquaintances to play them.

His goal in forming Mochila, Kundos says, was "to build a stage where everyone can come and bring his personal story." With this ambition in mind, he scheduled the band to play a live show before the documentary aired and then to perform at Culture X the following night.

Alberto Lopez '12 was visiting Brandeis as an accepted student and says he knew he wanted to join Mochila after seeing the band perform at Culture X. The following fall he became the group's bongo player, and his brother, Jonathan Lopez '11, joined at the same time on bass guitar.

The pair had played in a cover band in high school but hadn't worked on world music before. "At first I wasn't sure I would fit in," Jonathan says, "but then I really liked it more than I expected."

Kundos says he asked his Colombian brother-in-law to think of "a catchy name that will be sexy and nice for a band that is doing experimental stuff." The name Mochila refers to a bag made made of simple materials by Colombian Indian farmers. "Despite the different identities and cultures, together we hold a lot of weight. Our message is very heavy," Kundos says.

Kundos comes to Brandeis from Jaffa, Israel, and he says those at home "struggle to understand the idea" of blending so many cultures through music," but "the message that we're bringing is strong enough to make people listen to it."

In November, the ensemble played the Battle of the Bands, competing for the opening Springfest slot. The members of Mochila arrived "very excited, because we're bringing a different kind of music," Kundos says, but their victory still took them by surprise. Since then, some members have gone abroad, but the group has continued to expand.

Alex Singer '10 says she was sitting in Goldfarb Library earlier this semester when Kundos approached her. The two had lived in Rosenthal Quad as sophomores but didn't know each other too well beyond that. "Mohammad came up to me and said, 'Hey, I saw you carrying around a violin last year. Do you still play?'" Singer remembers. She had played with rock ensembles and orchestras, but never anything quite like Mochila. So far, she says, she's really enjoyed the chance to contribute her background in jazz violin to Mochila's eclectic sound.

Mochila is a band in which individuals of all tastes and backgrounds can fit in, notes Jae Kyo Han '10, a pianist who joined the group only a couple of weeks ago. Han describes the band as "a motley crew," likening it to a group of adults who have very different careers but enjoy making music together in their free time. For example, Han is a Music major and Kundos majors in Film Studies, while Jonathan Lopez is a Politics major.

The variety of personalities in the group makes for a very laid-back rehearsal process. According to Alberto Lopez, rehearsals "are mostly jamming" as members try to work out improvised contributions to Kundos' composed works.

There's been no slackening in the band's work ethic even as it has absorbed new members. The group's first album, Green Bullets, is slated for release this week. The 13-track LP was recorded in three weeks, partly funded by a grant from the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts. To pay off residual debts, the musicians are planning a dinner-concert fundraiser April 24. On May 2 the band will perform in New York City at Alwan for the Arts, a cultural center with a focus on the Arab community.

Asked if he is excited to share a stage with Asher Roth at Springfest, Kundos jokes, "Maybe I will invite him for coffee.