Anslem Douglas | |
|---|---|
 Douglas in 2010 | |
| Born | 23 July 1964 |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Notable work | "Doggie" (which was later covered by the Baha Men as "Who Let the Dogs Out") |
Anslem Douglas (born 23 July 1964) is a Trinidadian musician and composer. He is best known for the hit single "Doggie", which was later covered by the Bahamian junkanoo band Baha Men as "Who Let the Dogs Out". [1]
Douglas was born and raised in the village of La Romaine in the southern part of Trinidad. Douglas started singing at his local Pentecostal Church and, at age 16, along with a few of his friends in the church, formed a band called Exodus. In 1984, Douglas enlisted in the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard where he served for a period of six years. During this time, he performed with the Coast Guard band.
Douglas later, after he was introduced to Trinidad's native genre, soca, performed with some local bands out of Trinidad such as Fire Flight (with whom he recorded his first song in 1988) and Atlantik. During this time he composed Ragga Poom Poom, Good Music To Dance, and the hit single Who Let the Dogs Out? which went on to win a Grammy in 2001, although the most well-known version of the song outside the Caribbean is the cover version of the song sung by the Baha Men. Douglas also wrote Friend on the Soul Island album and Ooh Ahh, the smooth jazz hit produced by Eddie Bullen and written by Douglas on the same record, to the social outrage of Abuse featured on his Sir Anslem Douglas album released in 2000.
In 2001 Douglas was sued [2] and lost a lawsuit with regards to full authorship of the song Who Let the Dogs Out? The chorus was originally composed in 1995 by Patrick Stephenson and Leroy Williams of Just Platinum Recording Studios/Action House Studios in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for a radio jingle. The lawsuit showed that Douglas was a client of the studio during that time, and that he used the chorus to compose the song. The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed sum.
Douglas recorded a ten track Neo soul/Pop album entitled Project A.D. with most of the songs self-written, which were produced by Eddie Bullen and his son Quincy Bullen. It was released in the spring of 2012. In 2013 he released a single called Do You Think He Will Understand, a power Soca called Bacchanal, and a neo-Calypso single, Dancing With You. Anslem also recorded a Classic 60s riddim with Lil Bitts called I Want To Know. For Carnival 2014 Anslem released the power Soca singles Boom and Broughtupcy, followed by a smooth Reggae track, It Wasn't You at the end of April. Douglas won Best Caribbean Style Artist at the 2014 Black Canadian Awards.
Soca music is a genre of music defined by Lord Shorty, its inventor, as the "Soul of Calypso", which has influences of African and East Indian rhythms. It was originally spelled "sokah" by its inventor but through an error in a local newspaper when reporting on the new music it was erroneously spelled "soca"; Lord Shorty confirmed the error but chose to leave it that way to avoid confusion. It is a genre of music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 1970s and developed into a range of styles during the 1980s and after. Soca was initially developed by Lord Shorty in an effort to revive traditional calypso, the popularity of which had been flagging amongst younger generations in Trinidad due to the rise in popularity of reggae from Jamaica and soul and funk from the United States. Soca is an offshoot of calypso/kaiso, with influences from East Indian rhythms and hooks.
Baha Men are a Bahamian junkanoo band formed in New Providence, Bahamas in 1977. They are best known for their Grammy Award-winning hit song "Who Let the Dogs Out".
The music of Trinidad and Tobago is best known for its calypso music, soca music, chutney music, and steelpan. Calypso's internationally noted performances in the 1950s from native artists such as Lord Melody, Lord Kitchener and Mighty Sparrow. The art form was most popularised at that time by Harry Belafonte. Along with folk songs and African- and Indian-based classical forms, cross-cultural interactions have produced other indigenous forms of music including soca, rapso, parang, chutney, and other derivative and fusion styles. There are also local communities which practice and experiment with international classical and pop music, often fusing them with local steelpan instruments.
The music of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines includes thriving music scenes based on Big Drum, calypso, soca, steelpan and also reggae. String band music, quadrille, bélé music and traditional storytelling are also popular.
The culture of Trinidad and Tobago reflects the influence of Indian-South Asian, African, Indigenous, European, Chinese, North American, Latino, and Arab cultures. The histories of Trinidad and Tobago are different. There are differences in the cultural influences which have shaped each island. Trinidad and Tobago is an English-speaking country with strong links to the United Kingdom.
"Who Let the Dogs Out" is a song performed by Bahamian junkanoo band Baha Men. Originally released by Anslem Douglas, it was covered by producer Jonathan King who sang it under the name Fat Jakk and his Pack of Pets. He brought the song to the attention of his friend Steve Greenberg, who then had the Baha Men cover the song. The song, released on 26 July 2000, became the band's first and only hit in the United Kingdom and the United States, and it gained popularity after appearing in Men in Black II and its soundtrack album.
Edwin Ayoung, better known as Crazy, is a Trinidadian calypsonian. He has been active since the mid-1970s and is one of the most successful artists from Trinidad and Tobago.
Byron Lee and the Dragonaires are a Jamaican ska, calypso and soca band. The band played a crucial pioneering role in bringing Caribbean music to the world. Byron Lee died on 4 November 2008, after suffering from cancer for a sustained period.
Destra Garcia is a Trinidadian musician, singer and songwriter of soca music. She is also known by the mononym Destra. She is one of the most popular female soca artists in the world.
Austin Lyons, better known as Superblue, Super Blue and Blueboy, is a Trinidadian calypsonian, soca musician, and lyricist.
Ravi Bissambhar, also known as Ravi B, is a Trinidadian chutney musician.
Machel Jesus Montano is a Trinidadian soca recording artist and record producer. Known for his high energy, fast-paced, and often unpredictable on-stage performances, he is one of the genre's most popular artists.
Caribbean music in Canada has existed since the early 1920s, becoming increasingly prominent after the 1960s as Caribbean immigration to Canada increased. Anglo-Caribbean genres such as reggae, soca and calypso are especially prominent in English Canada, while French Caribbean genres such as cadence-lypso, zouk and konpa are more prominent in Quebec.
El-A-Kru is an Antiguan soca band. The name derives from "Little Antigua Crew".
Ken Marlon Charles a.k.a. KMC is a soca artist from Trinidad. Famous for hits like "Soul on Fire", "Soca Bashment" and "Bashment to Carnival" KMC is signed to the US-based record label Sequence Records. Considered to be one of Trinidad's top soca artists, KMC has over sixteen years experience in the music industry. He has made a name for himself as a solo artist, songwriter, producer and frontman of the band Red, White & Black.
Kes is a Trinidadian soca group formed in 2005, known for their eclectic mix of R&B, Pop, Rock, Soca, EDM and reggae. The band originally comprised brothers Kees Dieffenthaller on lead vocals, drummer Hans Dieffenthaller, rhythm guitarist Jon Dieffenthaller along with friend Riad Boochoon on bass guitar. Hans was eventually replaced by Dean James with keyboardist Mario Callender and DJ Robbie Persaud appearing as supporting members. Since the band inception, they've been elevated to mainstream popularity locally and throughout the Caribbean diaspora.
Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez is a Trinidadian soca recording artist and songwriter. She is also known by the stage names Lyon Empress, Mane the Matriarch, and the Silver Surfer, a nickname which she claimed during her performance at the 2008 International Soca Monarch. Personally she's married to Bunji Garlin.
"Differentology" is a song by Trinidadian singer and songwriter Bunji Garlin. "Differentology" was released by Sheriff Music on November 7, 2012, as one of the first of Garlin's offerings for the 2013 Carnival season in Trinidad and Tobago. The song was written by Garlin, and produced by Keron Thompson. Garlin stated that the song came to him while in an impromptu session with the guitarist.
Erphaan Alves is a Trinidadian soca recording artist and songwriter. He initially gained full recognition in the soca world 2012 when he qualified as a finalist in both Groovy and International Power Soca Monarch Finals with the songs "In your Eyes" and "Terrible". His transition to soca megastar proved complete when he cued the HD band into his 2018 monster hit ‘Overdue’.
 | This article has an unclear citation style .(June 2014) |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
