Who let the dogs out? Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!"
From the opening bars of Baha Men's lead single
from their new album "Who Let The Dogs Out," it's
apparent that this band has delivered the summer's
most exciting hit anthem. But while it may seem
Baha Men have come out of nowhere, their journey
to hit-maker status has been a long and eventful
one.
Natives of the Bahamas, Baha Men are long-time
proponents Junakanoo, The indigenous rhythm of
their homeland. This West African-inspired rhythm is
traditionally played on goat-skin drums and cowbells on the morning after Christmas,
during the Bahamas' massive Junkanoo parade, which begins at 3a.m. and doesn't stop
until dawn. But Baha Men have taken Junkanoo to new places through their recordings.
"My vision," says Isiah Taylor, the band's founding member, "Was to take the instruments
from our street festival, and put them together with the stage instruments like bass,
drums and guitar. I wanted to blend them all together in order to get the Junkanoo
music out to the world."
Junkanoo may still be a new term to the rest of the world but to the people of the
Bahamas it is grounded in a deep history. "There was a man many years ago, back in
slavery, named John Canoe who was the leader of a revolt on our island," Taylor
explains. "Back then, they would give the slaves time off once or twice a year, around
Christmas, and it was the only time the slaves were allowed to play their music, which
they brought with them from Africa, in public. John Canoe organized the slaves one
year to communicate with each other using their drums, and this was the beginning of a
successful revolt. Today, we celebrate this event by marching through the streets and
celebrating using the Junkanoo rhythms." Although Junkanoo is the musical foundation
of Baha Men's sound, there are other key ingredients that complete the picture. "There
is a bit of Africa, pop, R&B, reggae, and ska," says Taylor, "and it is all blended in with
Junkanoo."
While the core musicians who comprise Baha Men have been playing together in
various grouping for over a decade, the band has been dramatically rejuvenated in the
past year with the addition of three new lead singers, who have brought with them
influences ranging from rap and hip hop to Jamaican dancehall. Says 22-year-old
Marvin Prosper, whose speed-rapping is in full bloom on the "Dogs" single, "We young
guys have idolized Baha Men since we were kids. In the Bahamas, to be asked to join
Baha Men is like if an American kid was picked to play for the New York Yankees. It's like
a dream come true."
"We're bringing a lot of new elements to Baha Men's sound," adds 20-year old vocalist
Rick Carey, the son of Baha Men guitarist Pat Carey. "Kids in the Bahamas love
junkanoo, but we also listen to everything from D'Angelo to Juvenille, and the radio
down here plays lots of hot Jamaican artists like Bounty Killer and Capleton," says
Carey, who sings lead on the "Dogs" single. "So what we're doing is bringing the whole
range of our influences into the group's sound, creating something really new and
original."
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