Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine January 2019 | Page 20

natural setting of strategically placed driftwood, seashells, and broken instruments, which adds to the Dune’s appeal. As Bankie Bankx describes it, his decor is “contemporary, artsy madness!” Although the Dune was destroyed during 2017’s Hurricane Irma, it was re-built and is open for business! The proclivity for musical expression and poetry has been passed on to his children. One of his sons, a lawyer by profession, sings and records gospel music; another son, Omari, a former bowler with the West Indies Cricket Team is a popular singer in his own right; another child has the gift of the spoken word, and one, although an entrepreneur also sings and plays the piano. for the legendary Jimmy Cliff in 20 major cities. He also toured the U.S. with his own band, The Roots & Herbs. Bankie lived in Europe for 6 years, touring in places like France and Italy. He was the first reggae artiste in the Eastern Caribbean to perform in Jamaica's Reggae Sunsplash in the early 1980s. Bankie has also graced the big screen in the 1990’s Fox sitcom, Key West. He performed his hit song, Edge of Darkness and also appeared as himself in another episode about then Hurricane Andrew. For years, he moved back and forth between the U.S and Anguilla. When on the island, offshore cays such as Sandy Island would be the venue of his musical performances with his band. Later, a little rustic, artsy stage on Rendezvous Bay was the location of his early Moonsplash Music Festival, which has now grown to an annual festival of international acclaim, attracting acts from the legendary Steel Pulse, Third World, Gregory Isaacs, Culture, and Jimmy Buffet, among others. John Mayer also lent his presence to an on-stage act at one of the events. The Moonsplash Festival is now a highly-anticipated annual event on the Anguilla calendar, with appearances from the popular Romain Virgo, Christopher Martin, Chronixx and others. This year’s Festival will be held on March 21-24th at Bankie Banx’s Dune Preserve on Rendezvous Bay. Bankie’s Dune Preserve was born after he returned to Anguilla in 1994/1995. A rustic, laid-back atmosphere prevails throughout the Dune which is a restaurant and bar, strategically located on the beach at Rendezvous Bay. Although it is on the beach, the Dune is somewhat off the beaten track as patrons’ access to it is via a 1/4 mile drive through the Banks Estate to its beach-front location. Open from 11:30 am until the last person leaves, live bands perform there a few days per week and you’ll be served simple food and special drinks in an eclectic Bankie Banx, born Clement Ashley Banks, is a true Anguillian legend, a musical icon and one who has carved a space for himself in the annals of Anguillian history. His Moonsplash Music Festival is on in 2019. Let’s go to Anguilla to party under the moonlight at the Dune Preserve which the trusted CNN Travel has noted as being the Best Beach Bar in the World, three years in a row!