Baha Men

The Junkanoo tradition of Bahamian music and dance originated during slavery, when enslaved people received permission to assemble once weekly for celebrations. Isaiah Taylor and his group The Baha Men blend this heritage with contemporary dance rhythms, pop sensibilities, and Latin percussion. As "Billboard" observed, the ensemble "straddles the line between Caribbean and western popular music and does so while putting smiles on people's faces and a bounce in their steps."

Although the band's 1979 debut album Junkanoo remained deeply anchored in that style and reworked several classic Bahamian melodies, The Baha Men gradually shifted toward current sounds. Their follow-up, I Like What I Like, was helmed by Tommy D (Michael Jackson), Don Dubose, John Holliday, and Trevor Steele (The Escape Club); Holliday and Steele also collaborated with the group on five tracks. The album's lead single, "That's The Way, Etc.," stitched together several K.C. And The Sunshine Band hits. This modern direction continued on the third release, Doong Spank, which appeared in 1999. One year later the band issued Who Let the Dogs Out, propelled by its Grammy-winning title track; the project ultimately moved more than five million units. Early in 2002 The Baha Men sought broader Top 40 success with the next effort, Move It Like This.