Bankie Banx
Encyclopedia
Bankie Banx is a reggae
singer, known as the "Anguillan Bob Dylan
".
top 40 hits that a local radio station transmitted from a frigate
moored off the coast of the island.
Bankie's first number one hit in 1977 was "Prince of Darkeness" and followed that with several chart topping songs over the next few years. With the release of his first Album Roots and Herbs in 1978, recorded with his band, The Roots and Herbs, Banks pioneered reggae
music in the Eastern Caribbean.
Following the releases of the album, Where I and I Abide, Bankie became the first performer from Anguilla to appear at Reggae Sunsplash
, in 1983 and he appeared again in 1992. He was featured during a live Sunsplash performance in the ground breaking reggae documentary "Cool Runnings". Following his success has Reggae Sunsplash 1983, Bankie and his band The Roots & Herbs toured extensively in the Caribbean before heading to Europe. Discord prior to the Europe trip caused the band to change form, and several founding members left the band including Ras B, Iwandai I and Irino. The band spent 3 year in Europe and garnered strong fan base while there. Bankie Banx and the Roots and Herbs disbanded in 1987 and many of the members returned to the Caribbean. Bankie returned to be with his family after the death of his younger sister.
Bankie spent the late 1980s in New York
and worked with musicians including Junior Jazz, Robert Manos, Robert Mansfield. Bankie Banx and The New York Connection were regulars on the East Coast music scene and had strong followings in Boston, New York and New Hampshire. Bankie continued to return to Anguilla for annual performances and started the Moonsplash Music Festival in 1991, staged in the grounds of his own bar, The Dune Preserve. Moonsplash has become one of the premier music festivals in the Eastern Caribbean and has featured internationally revered artists. Artists who have appeared at the Dune Preserve include David Bryan
of Bon Jovi, Jimmy Buffett
, Rita Marley
, Richie Havens
, The Bacon Brothers
, Black Uhuru
, Freddie McGregor
, Peter Cetera
, Third World
, Culture
, Steel Pulse
, Tarrus Riley
, Duane Stephenson, Marcia Griffiths
, Derrick Morgan
, Roots & Herbs, Buju Banton
, Anthony B
, Burning Spear
, The Wailers Band, Inner Circle (reggae band), Toots & the Maytals
, Benjy Myaz, Alana Davis
, Junior Jazz, Onaje Allan Gumbs
and John Mayer
. The bar was destroyed by Hurricane Lenny
in 1999, but Banks rebuilt it and Moonsplash went ahead again in 2000.
Bankie has made several international television appearances, including a recurring role on the Fox sitcom "Key West" and a February, 2011 guest concert appearance on "The Bachelor," and has been featured on the soundtrack for the award winning independent film "Southie."
Bankie's sound has been described as a cross between Bob Marley
and Bob Dylan, and his music a blend of folk
, reggae, R&B and Jazz
. He is often called the "Anguillan Bob Dylan", and indeed has played with Dylan himself.
In Summer 2005, Bankie started the Project Stingray music and arts education program on Anguilla. Bankie's fall tour of the United States
supported awareness and raised funds for the Stingray Program. Through his fund raising efforts Bankie was able to donate 30 brand new guitars to the Stingray Program during the Cultural and Arts Fair at Moonsplash 2006. During a Jimmy Buffett charity event hosted by Bankie Banx at The Dune Preserve, Bankie raised over one hundred thousand for local charities.
In 2006, Bankie released his music video promo for 'Big Chief', taken from his 2003 album, Chariots Of Steel. The video told the story of a young island boy discovering his roots and was shot on Anguilla. The video was made by Driftwood Pictures Limited, and was produced by Yonathan Gal, directed by Trishul Thejasvi and Production Managed by Karsten Hansen.
Bankie's new studio album, "The News" was released on September 15, 2009. The first single from the album, "King of the Dune" was released 18 August 2009 on iTunes. Bankie is currently touring the USA to promote the new album, which was originally rumoured to be called "Midnight in America".
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
singer, known as the "Anguillan Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
".
Career
Banks's musical career dates back to 1963, when he built his first guitar. He formed his first band in 1967, taking inspiration from the UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
top 40 hits that a local radio station transmitted from a frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
moored off the coast of the island.
Bankie's first number one hit in 1977 was "Prince of Darkeness" and followed that with several chart topping songs over the next few years. With the release of his first Album Roots and Herbs in 1978, recorded with his band, The Roots and Herbs, Banks pioneered reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
music in the Eastern Caribbean.
Following the releases of the album, Where I and I Abide, Bankie became the first performer from Anguilla to appear at Reggae Sunsplash
Reggae Sunsplash
Reggae Sunsplash is a reggae music festival first staged in 1978 in the northern part of Jamaica. In 1985 it expanded with the addition of an international touring festival...
, in 1983 and he appeared again in 1992. He was featured during a live Sunsplash performance in the ground breaking reggae documentary "Cool Runnings". Following his success has Reggae Sunsplash 1983, Bankie and his band The Roots & Herbs toured extensively in the Caribbean before heading to Europe. Discord prior to the Europe trip caused the band to change form, and several founding members left the band including Ras B, Iwandai I and Irino. The band spent 3 year in Europe and garnered strong fan base while there. Bankie Banx and the Roots and Herbs disbanded in 1987 and many of the members returned to the Caribbean. Bankie returned to be with his family after the death of his younger sister.
Bankie spent the late 1980s in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and worked with musicians including Junior Jazz, Robert Manos, Robert Mansfield. Bankie Banx and The New York Connection were regulars on the East Coast music scene and had strong followings in Boston, New York and New Hampshire. Bankie continued to return to Anguilla for annual performances and started the Moonsplash Music Festival in 1991, staged in the grounds of his own bar, The Dune Preserve. Moonsplash has become one of the premier music festivals in the Eastern Caribbean and has featured internationally revered artists. Artists who have appeared at the Dune Preserve include David Bryan
David Bryan
David Bryan is the keyboard player of the band rock classic, Bon Jovi. Bryan also sings backing vocals and often at live shows sings part of or the whole of the song "In These Arms", one of a handful of Bon Jovi songs credited to him as songwriter...
of Bon Jovi, Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
, Rita Marley
Rita Marley
Alpharita Constantia Anderson , better known as Rita Marley, and sometimes called "Nana Rita", is the widow of reggae legend/musician Bob Marley, and a member of the trio the I Threes, Bob Marley's backup singers.-Biography:...
, Richie Havens
Richie Havens
Richard P. "Richie" Havens is an African American folk singer and guitarist. He is best known for his intense, rhythmic guitar style , soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.-Career:Born in Brooklyn, Havens was the eldest of nine children...
, The Bacon Brothers
The Bacon Brothers
The Bacon Brothers is the American musical duo of Michael Bacon and Kevin Bacon. Although they have played music together since they were boys, the brothers have only been a working band since 1995....
, Black Uhuru
Black Uhuru
Black Uhuru are a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1972, initially as Uhuru . The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years, with Duckie Simpson always maintaining group control and ownership...
, Freddie McGregor
Freddie McGregor
Freddie McGregor has been variously a singer, musician and producer. According to Allmusic he is one of reggae's most durable and soulful singers, with a steady career that started in the 1960s, when he was just seven years old.-Biography:In 1963 he joined with Ernest Wilson and Peter Austin to...
, Peter Cetera
Peter Cetera
Peter Paul Cetera is an American singer, songwriter, bassist and producer best known for being an original member of the rock band Chicago, before launching a successful solo career...
, Third World
Third World (band)
Third World is a Jamaican reggae band formed in 1973. Their sound is influenced by soul, funk and disco.-History:Third World started when keyboard player Michael "Ibo" Cooper and guitarist Stephen "Cat" Coore, who had originally played in The Alley Cats then Inner Circle, subsequently left to form...
, Culture
Culture (band)
Culture was a Jamaican roots reggae group founded in 1976. Originally they were known as the African Disciples.The members of the trio were Joseph Hill , Albert Walker and Kenneth Dayes ....
, Steel Pulse
Steel Pulse
Steel Pulse is a roots reggae musical band. They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, in Birmingham, England, composed of David Hinds , Basil Gabbidon , and Ronald McQueen .-History:...
, Tarrus Riley
Tarrus Riley
Tarrus Riley is a Jamaican-American reggae singer, the son of Jimmy Riley.-Biography:...
, Duane Stephenson, Marcia Griffiths
Marcia Griffiths
Marcia Llyneth Griffiths is a successful female singer, also called the "Queen of Reggae". One reviewer described her noting "she is known primarily for her strong, smooth-as-mousse love songs and captivating live performances".Griffiths started her career in 1964...
, Derrick Morgan
Derrick Morgan
Derrick Morgan is a musical artist popular in the 1960s and 1970s. He worked with Desmond Dekker, Bob Marley, and Jimmy Cliff in the rhythm and blues and ska genres, and he also performed rocksteady and skinhead reggae.-Biography:In 1957 Morgan entered the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour, a talent...
, Roots & Herbs, Buju Banton
Buju Banton
Buju Banton is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician.Banton has recorded pop and dance songs, as well as songs dealing with sociopolitical topics....
, Anthony B
Anthony B
Anthony B is the stage name of Keith Blair , a Jamaican musician and member of the Rastafari movement....
, Burning Spear
Burning Spear
Winston Rodney, OD , also known as Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots reggae singer and musician. Burning Spear is known for his Rastafari movement messages.-History:...
, The Wailers Band, Inner Circle (reggae band), Toots & the Maytals
Toots & the Maytals
Toots and the Maytals, originally called simply The Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group and one of the best known ska and reggae vocal groups. According to Sandra Brennan at Allmusic, "The Maytals were key figures in reggae music...
, Benjy Myaz, Alana Davis
Alana Davis
Alana Davis is an American singer-songwriter. Her father, Walter Davis, Jr., was an African-American pianist who played alongside such jazz greats as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie....
, Junior Jazz, Onaje Allan Gumbs
Onaje Allan Gumbs
Onaje Allan Gumbs is a New York-based pianist, composer, and bandleader.-Early life:Born in Harlem, Onaje grew up in St. Albans, Queens, and started playing piano at age 7. Henry Mancini was one of his earliest and greatest influences from watching the TV shows "Peter Gunn" and "Mr Lucky" at age 8...
and John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
. The bar was destroyed by Hurricane Lenny
Hurricane Lenny
Hurricane Lenny was the strongest November Atlantic hurricane on record. It was the twelfth tropical storm, eighth hurricane, and record-breaking fifth Category 4 hurricane in the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. Lenny formed on November 13 in the western Caribbean Sea, and maintained an...
in 1999, but Banks rebuilt it and Moonsplash went ahead again in 2000.
Bankie has made several international television appearances, including a recurring role on the Fox sitcom "Key West" and a February, 2011 guest concert appearance on "The Bachelor," and has been featured on the soundtrack for the award winning independent film "Southie."
Bankie's sound has been described as a cross between Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
and Bob Dylan, and his music a blend of folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, reggae, R&B and Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. He is often called the "Anguillan Bob Dylan", and indeed has played with Dylan himself.
In Summer 2005, Bankie started the Project Stingray music and arts education program on Anguilla. Bankie's fall tour of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
supported awareness and raised funds for the Stingray Program. Through his fund raising efforts Bankie was able to donate 30 brand new guitars to the Stingray Program during the Cultural and Arts Fair at Moonsplash 2006. During a Jimmy Buffett charity event hosted by Bankie Banx at The Dune Preserve, Bankie raised over one hundred thousand for local charities.
In 2006, Bankie released his music video promo for 'Big Chief', taken from his 2003 album, Chariots Of Steel. The video told the story of a young island boy discovering his roots and was shot on Anguilla. The video was made by Driftwood Pictures Limited, and was produced by Yonathan Gal, directed by Trishul Thejasvi and Production Managed by Karsten Hansen.
Bankie's new studio album, "The News" was released on September 15, 2009. The first single from the album, "King of the Dune" was released 18 August 2009 on iTunes. Bankie is currently touring the USA to promote the new album, which was originally rumoured to be called "Midnight in America".
Albums
- Roots and Herbs (1978) Banx Music
- Where I and I Abide (1982) Banx Music
- Soothe Your Soul (1982) Redemption Records
- Terrestrial Spirits (1989) Urban Country/Banx Music
- Island Boy (1991) Urban Country/Banx Music
- Mighty Wind (1996) Urban Country/Banx Music
- Still In Paradise (1999) Banx Music
- Chariots Of Steel (2003) Banx Music
- The News: Live From The 4th World (2009) Banx Music
External links
- http://www.bankiebanx.net/Biography.html
- http://www.bankiebanx.net/Roots.html
- http://www.bankiebanx.net/Restaurant.html
- http://www.anguilla-vacation.com/festival_events.htm
- http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20031002t200000-0500_49834_obs_bankie_banks_riding_on_a_chariot_of_steel.asp