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A band Much like the dogs of their summer 2000 smash hit single, "Who Let the Dogs Out," the Baha Men's bark is as rousing and tenacious as their bite.
barking up
the right tree
The Baha Men are in
Hawaii next weekBy Gary C.W. Chun
gchun@starbulletin.comGranted, being the party-hearty music ambassadors of the Bahamas won't mean much in terms of an artistic legacy. But after the humongous success of "Dogs," this band has gotten not just a taste, but a heaping plateful of international fame. They're no fools -- they want more!
And if the group's just-released album "Move It Like This" is any indication, the Baha Men say if it ain't broke, don't try and fix it. They continue to brew that working formula of smartly mixing the Caribbean rhythms of Bahamian junkanoo (West African rhythms originated by slaves) and dancehall reggae with R&B and pop flavors.
Prior to releasing their new album, the Baha Men stayed in the public's ear with the placement of a couple of new songs on two movie soundtracks: "Best Years of Our Lives" was heard in the Oscar-winning "Shrek," and the group delivered the title track in the kid comedy "Big Fat Liar."
The band's profile rose considerably with the addition in 1999 of three youthful vocalists: Rick Carey, Omerit Hield and rapper Marvin Proper. Keeping it in the Baha Men family, Carey is the son of one of the band's guitarists, and Hield is the nephew of the band's original lead singer.
The nine-piece band hits the road early next week to promote "Move It Like This," starting right here in Hawaii, for a convention gig and two shows at Gussie L'Amour's.
One Baha Man who has enjoyed all this notoriety is founding member Isaiah Taylor. The pragmatic-minded bassist said by phone from his Bahamian home Tuesday that the band's success worldwide has set the standard for other bands in his home country.
"It's been tremendous!" he enthused. "We definitely set a trend. Before the Baha Men, groups used to play a different style of Caribbean music. No one was playing junkanoo. After the success of 'Dogs,' I told people at a musicians union meeting that if local bands don't readjust and follow what we've done, they'd be in trouble! Now I think the groups are better, but not as refined as we are and without the kind of exposure we've had."
All of this due to the head of their record label. Steve Greenberg implored the band to do a poppier version of the soca song he first heard on a visit to Europe. "It was his idea to record 'Dogs,'" Taylor said. "I thought he was losing it, but now I know, never argue with success. What we did was slow down the original a bit to make it funkier, added a rap, changing and gearing it to the whole world market."
The band's career has been helped as well by its working relationship with pretty boy rock-funkateer Lenny Kravitz. Kravitz produced one of the band's earlier albums, and, Taylor said, while the band was working on "I Just Want to Fool Around" in Nassau, Kravitz was recording right across the hall. During some downtime, he joined the Baha Men to do some background vocals on the track.
With Greenberg's Midas touch, the band also gets several contributions from other pop-R&B writing teams. "If we hear the potential," Taylor said, "we never turn down anything good." So the new album includes a couple of prime roof-raisers and dance floor fillers titled "Giddyup" and "We Rubbin."
"Our other guitar player, Herschel Small, wrote 'Giddyup' in conjunction with a guy from DreamWorks Songs, and three guys out of L.A. who call themselves the Triangle wrote and produced 'We Rubbin.'"
While the Baha Men consistently put forth a friendly, ebullient vibe, Taylor knows the band has to take care of business.
"We always take it one day at a time," he says. "We still have room to grow."
Obsessed opens the show Monday, with Ski & the Ska Flavored Band performing Tuesday Baha Men
Where: Gussie L'Amour's, 3251 N. Nimitz Hwy.
When: 8:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
Admission: $22 in advance (good for both nights) or $25 at the door; must be 21
Call: 296-9494
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