Kenneth Williams was smiling as he entered the editorial offices of The Observer. We were operating out of a building next to the 18th-century church in Basseterre, capital of St. Kitts. Willims was my publisher and he was smiling.
'Geno - Banky Banks, a reggae musician, is going to put on a street concert tonight in downtown Basseterre. He is from Anguilla. I think we should cover it.'
I got up from my typewriter. 'Your wish is my command, Sire,' I said, bowing.
Banky was a one-man band who lived at Dunes Preserve, an incredible jungle retreat on Anguilla, an island that had harbored pirates during the 16th and 17th centuries. I would discover later that he was also a poker player and dice shooter who often visited the island casino at Jack Tar Village about five miles from downtown Basseterre.
At 5 p.m...
...I locked the door and walked to the Biambi African Cafe owned by my friend Dieter King. The popular bar-restaurant was a favorite gathering place for islanders as well as tourists. It served good food, passable coffee and even had a movie theater in the rear that featured films by Bob Marley and other reggae groups.
The Basseterre Police - were already blocking off the street for the concert. I took a seat at an outside table and ordered a drink from Beauty, my favorite cocktail waitress. I had given her the nickname because of her looks. She loved it and would often strike a model's pose when she approached my table. I asked her if she planned to watch the concert.
'Absolutely,' she said. 'You will love Bankie Banks. He is one of my favorite musicians.'
At around 6 p.m., Banks arrived. He was a bearded black musician who wore Levis and a vest and a wide-brimmed hat. As he was setting up his equipment, I introduced myself as editor of The Observer and began shooting photos of him.
He came to my table and we did a quick interview. He also handed me his card and invited me to visit him in Anguilla.
'You can stay at my Dunes Preserve,' he said. 'It's where the Caribbean pirates used to dock their ships in the old days. I'll even fix you the best fish dinner you have ever eaten. I catch my own fish.' He winked. 'I also grow my own ganja.'
'Really?' I was interested and promised to visit him.
As the sun slid down behind the ocean, the cafe and the street began filling with people. Banks began playing around 7 p.m. and people danced in the street. There were several police officers there for crowd control and they swayed to the music, smiling and nodding at the crowd.
When Bankie took a break...
...he came over to my table. A couple of girls grabbed chairs and sat down to listen to our conversation. I asked him what he planned to do after the concert.
'I will play til midnight,' he said. 'After that I have no plans.'
'Why don't we go to Jack Tar Village and play some poker?',' I suggested. 'I've never played poker against a pirate before.' He shook my hand.
'It's a done deal,' he said.
That night I danced to his reggae music and later played poker. Bankie was a good player and we both ended up winners. He talked about doing a concert at Dunes Preserve with Jimmy Buffet and said they were good friends. He said Buffet even gave him a ride in his airplane.
Banks still lives at Dunes Preserve and he still performs. If you are ever in the Caribbean and anywhere near Anguilla, the pirate island, be sure to visit him. You won't regret it.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
