Moonsplash, a growing festival of music, culture and community involvement, now in its 16th year in Anguilla, has won the financial support of Cable and Wireless as a major annual sponsor. The telecommunications company met with the overall producer and internationally-acclaimed reggae entertainer, Bankie Banx, his son, Olaide, the festival’s Chief Executive and others, including the media, on Tuesday, January 10, to announce the sponsorship.

L-R: Leroy Richardson, Bankie Banx, Dr. Linda Banks, Olaide Banks, Sutcliffe Hodge and Brent Warner

Chief Executive of Cable and Wireless, Sutcliffe Hodge, said the company had taken the decision to contribute US$23,000 towards the sponsorship of Moonsplash, which will be held at Bankie Banx’s Dune Preserve at Rendezvous Bay during the period March 16-19. The company will also give any possible in-kind assistance for the event. Mr. Hodge stated that the three-day event would be similarly sponsored next year and he hoped that with the level of sponsorship a relationship would be forged over many years. He described the event and Bankie Banx as icons in Anguilla.

Mr. Hodge’s comments were preceded by an interactive discussion, led by Olaide Banks, a Texas-based Accountant who, for a number of years, has been coordinating and managing his father’s popular Moonsplash festival. The other representatives were Dr. Linda O. M. Banks, who is the local coordinator of the function, Brent Warner of the Valley Community Club, who has been co-opted as a result of his successful involvement in, and passion for, culture, and radio personality and publicist, Leroy Richardson (Brother Lee).

“As I listened to the discussion, I certainly connect for the need for us to urgently move in a deliberate way to protect and preserve our island-nation and our culture,” Mr. Hodge told the gathering. “We are now fighting for the survival of our local culture and we at Cable and Wireless want to play our part in trying to protect, preserve and build our indigenous people whom, I think, future generations will be proud of because it is about protecting and preserving this island for them.”

Olaide Banks, noted that Moonsplash and the Valley Community Club, which annually puts on the Christmas Tree Lighting Festival, had a common cultural background. He was grateful that Cable and Wireless had become a major sponsor for both functions, while others had not readily shown their appreciation and support for the level of impact the festivals have on the cultural life of the community. “Cable and Wireless has been a visionary in that respect and we are grateful for this,” he stated. The young accountant, who handles the finances for the Moonsplash festival, reported that this year the event will cost in the region of US$150,000 – the highest so far.

Bankie Banx, speaking about the team now working with Moonsplash, praised the persons mentioned earlier for their work in helping with the production of the function. “We have put together a team that is in keeping with the objectives of Moonsplash and the support we are getting from Cable and Wireless [and other sponsors],” he said. The island’s premier entertainer was disappointed that in the past a number of would-be sponsors, including government, banking and other entities, had viewed the cultural function as a private event and had therefore offered only negligible financial support.

He was pleased however that this year the government, which donated US $2,500 last year, had now decided to contribute US $25,000 with the listing of Moonsplash as one of the island’s musical festivals.

The press briefing was told that in addition to Cable and Wireless, there were a number of other sponsors who had already confirmed their sponsorship of the festival. These were the Anguilla Tourist Board, Cap Juluca, St.Regis/Temenos, the National Bank of Anguilla and Caribbean Liquors. A long-time and continuing sponsor is American Airlines/American Eagle.

Plans are full ahead for the holding of Moonsplash. According to Olaide Banks, a number of international artistes are already preparing to come to Anguilla to perform and the programme, which includes local and cultural events, is being drawn up. Publicity campaigns are to be mounted in the Caribbean region and beyond shortly.

Bankie Banx put the event into perspective: “Moonsplash is not a personal or private function. It is an Anguilla thing,” he emphasised.

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