The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

IN WHAT IS being described as an “out of this world” opportunity, Baha Men’s single “Night and Day” has been selected as one of the 14 songs on the official 2014 FIFA World Cup Album.

The album, One Love, One Rhythm, was released on Monday and is already no.1 on iTunes. It features the official World Cup theme song, We Are One (Ole Ola) by Pit Bull and Jennifer Lopez and will be introduced to the World Cup viewing audience, estimated to be more than 700 million people.

Isaiah Taylor, leader of Baha Men, said the Bahamian group is thankful that of the thousands of artists Sony had to choose from they selected them to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“We, the members of this group, are flattered that Sony selected us to be a part of this album,” he said. “This will easily be the greatest exposure that Baha Men has ever received in our history and proves that we are continuing to grow as artists year after year. Sony had thousands of choices and they chose us as one of 14. There is little more that I can say.”

Obie Pindling, Sony’s local lawyer, said even though soccer is not such a popular sport in the Bahamas, the game of football is the no.1 sport globally and being included in this album will bring Baha Men, once again, on the top of the world.

“The World Cup is the largest sporting event in the world,” he said, “not the Super Bowl as many of us may think. So for a Bahamian group to be included in the CD for such a mega event, it just doesn’t get any better and it doesn’t get any bigger and it is a major, major accomplishment. I want the Bahamian public to know that this is just the beginning. Sony has expressed very strong interest in recruiting more talent in the Bahamas so this is only the beginning. You don’t get any bigger than Sony.”

The World Cup kicks off in Brazil on June 12 and features 32 teams. The final is on July 13.

Gina Peiratas, managing director for Sony Music in Central America and the Caribbean, first noticed Baha Men when Sony had a convention in the Bahamas two years ago and the group performed. She said that night Baha Men were invited to join Sony Music Group and they have been impressing her ever since.

“It took us almost two years to do their new album, we feel extremely content and happy with the calibre of songs that we have compiled to this new Baha Men recording,” she said.

“We have not decided yet, but we think the title is going to be ‘Right with Me’ and the first single will be ‘Night and Day’. After we worked with all of the tracks, our European office was working with putting together the World Cup FIFA 2014 compilation and I thought that Night and Day would be a great fit to be added. It’s a beautiful song and we are very happy we were able to include the track in the World Cup compilation. It was released yesterday and it is no. 1 in the iTunes stores all over the world.”

Baha Men will officially launch their new album in the Bahamas later this month.