Los Rabanes

Panamanian rockers Los Rabanes got their start as a bar band who drew an increasingly fanatical following in the early 1990s. Local superstar Ruben Blades caught wind of the trend, and pretty soon they were recording their first release, 1995's Porque Te Fuiste Benito? for his Kiwi Record Company. As the band's fame grew, they outgrew their ska-punk origins, folding tropical styles into the mix, including calypso, soca, merengue and even reggaeton. Thanks to their cross-genre appeal, the group has broken into tropical and pop charts with songs like "My Commanding Wife," "Bam Bam" and "Everybody" while maintaining solid alternative credentials.