Wow! What a weekend! What an explosion of Anguillian and Caribbean creative expression! As the fog of sleepless nights clears and the afterpain of feet dancing all night for two nights in a row subsides, there remains that head full, belly full, heart full feeling of love, and pride at what was definitely the best Moonsplash ever. Yeah, I know I may have said that last year but that’s only because last year came before this year. The news of Bankie Banx’s reunion with his Roots and Herbs after 30 years was met with high expectations but what we at Moonsplash 2006, was a touch of the sublime.

Ijahnya Christian

The planned afternoon into evening sleep did not happen but as a veteran Splasher and regular Dune-ite, I also know a couple of corners where one could catch a little snooze in between band changes if necessary. My spiritual son Anthony B never lets his audience down so I knew he would be fine and I would be fine too once he sang “Fire Pon Rome.” I was a bit worried about my home band Addis as I knew they hadn’t got in all the practice they needed. However, I was excited by the Fire Crew that I knew would heat up the place with strictly conscious lyrics. DreadItes, Shabu and Junior Silk had me rocking even during their rehearsals so I didn’t worry about them only hoped that all would work well for them on stage on Saturday night. I had heard that Buju Banton did not perform to everyone’s liking at the St. Kitts Music Festival and though I wasn’t (note the past tense), much of a Buju fan, still I hoped he would perform well at Moonsplash. He laughed when I warned him before the show not to ‘wheel and come again’ too much as people want to listen to their favourite songs and to sing along with him. I guess he knew that I had no reason to be nervous and he seemed very calm himself.

Friday night we arrived just in time for the sterling performance by OB’s Improv. I had listened to Davon Carty discuss the rudiments of drumming with passion but I had not heard him play before. OBs can also be proud of its accompaniment of Jaine Rogers. Listening to Jaine is not for the weak-hearted. Jaine sings with an intensity that raises goose bumps, quickens the heartbeat and transports you into the world of the song and soul of the singer. Hers is a world class act and I hope that her management will ensure that she gets to all known jazz and blues festivals and not just those in the Caribbean Region. To cut a long story short we get right to Anthony B. In a brief chat before the performance, I met a polite young man, who called me Mama – seems like he knew I’ve been claiming him as my son. His band played well and his high stepping dances and energetic performance was electrifying. The fans showed their appreciation at every rendition and I got my money’s worth with “Fire Pon Rome”. Singer-guitarist Alana Davis was also a hit and added richly to the mix of the Friday Moonsplash line-up. My band of the night was the All Star Band, an entity aptly named for the high-quality and versatility of their offerings. The regulars Stephen ‘Cat’ Coore of Third World Fame, Benjy Myaz, Junior Jazz, Onaje Gumbs and Jah D of Aswad fame, strutted their virtuoso stuff helping to align Planet Dune with the other nine. I could have done with a little more of Benjy and Junior’s singing, Cat on the violin cello and Bankie too but he was saving his voice for Saturday.
Saturday was full of activity some happy some sad, all of it engaged in sleepily by me. That night I got there too late for Hot Shot but in time for Kinaya I, who goes with Moonsplash as much as the moon. and his performance with Addis had some added life. Addis played almost as if they had practiced so I truly look forward to greatness during their next performance at the Morgan Heritage Show. Just as I singled out Sister Jaine, I want to single out Brother Junior Silk as a young artist going places. I hope that he was noticed by Colin Leslie who worked with Bob Marley, who knows the Jamaican music industry intimately, who was at Moonsplash 2006 and who is now an advisor to the Anguilla Stingray Music Programme.

There is little I can add to describe the wonder of Moonsplash 2006 and if you’re listening to the radio, you are hearing it all. However, I must comment on Bankie’s most dramatic entrance ever – a staged confrontation of the evil fire-breathing dragon, by the Conquering Lion, facilitated most effectively by the backdrop produced by the extremely talented artist Gabrielle Klaren. Bankie’s choice and rendition of the opening song, one of my all time favourites, “The Battle’s On”, was perfect and the perfection continued throughout the entire performance, pleasing the capacity crowd that turned out to witness the phenomenon. At the end of the night the joke was on me because I did not know that half of the songs I really like and know the words to, are Buju Banton’s songs. In other words, I didn’t know till this Moonsplash that I was a Buju fan. His sterling performance was punctuated with sharp intellect as he reasoned with the crowd and brought our dancing, jumping, stomping, skanking feet right back from Cloud Nine to Planet Dune.

The testimony of the thousands rocking and swaying and waving and singing along to Bankie and the Roots and Herbs said it all. Highly Heartical Congratulations to Band Leader Ras B, Tasha Sithole, Ireno, Isley, Imorley, Black Ites, Kerry (the shoot, Addis’ bandleader who also played with the All Stars) and Bankie himself. Back-up singers led by Priscilla Gumbs represented harmony in motion. Iwande I, onstage and on Heartbeat Radio as well as Brother Lee and Kool FM did a tremendously wonderful job. Kudos to Manager/Producer/Promoter Olaide Banks, Coordinators Mayor Yanchie, Dr. O. Linda Banks and the other MCs, Roadie Jones, Builder Bullet, Sister Candy and Elvis holding the fort and managing the food and beverage operations, gatekeepers, money changers and even the Royal Anguilla Police Force who this year seemed more professional and less invasive while on the job. Every single person connected with the organization of Moonsplash 2006 can bask in the glow of a job well done. Of course, the challenge is to do it again in 2007 but not too far away is Anguilla Day. Bankie is on his annual sailboat cruise clearing his head in the aftermath of Moonsplash but he has plans for Anguilla Day and speaking now as a proud Anguillian, I’m in.

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