The Anguilla Tourist Board and LIME, which has replaced Cable and Wireless in Anguilla, have contributed US$33,600 and US$23,000 respectively towards the sponsorship of Moonsplash, the annual music festival put one each year on the island by Bankie Banx, and a cadre of visiting and local musicians and singers, at his Dune Preserve at Rendezvous Bay.

Presentation of cheque to Olaide Banks by Merlin Rogers

This was announced at a press briefing at the Tourist Board offices on Tuesday this week by representatives of both contributors.

Acting Director of Tourism, Merlin Rogers, described Moonsplash as “a festival which has become synonymous with Anguilla and the legendary Bankie Banx.” She said the presentation of the sponsorship financing was a demonstration of the continued commitment of the Anguilla Tourist Board to the Moonsplash festival.

“This year, more than any other year, given the global economic environment, the Anguilla Tourist Board values the partnership especially given that with limited resources we are unable to support large advertising campaigns…Through our various festivals we carve out the opportunities to consistently showcase the many components of the Anguilla experience,” she remarked.

L-R: Olaide Banks, Avon Carty, Merlin Rogers and Mark Romney

LIME’s newly-appointed Country Manager, Mark Romney, said his company was happy to be associated with Moonsplash. “We realise that Moonsplash is indeed one of the premier music festivals throughout the Caribbean. This is now our fifth year [of sponsorship] and as Moonsplash continues to grow we are indeed happy to grow with Moonsplash,” he stated.
Mr. Romney said LIME had crafted ‘a manifesto for change’ which took into account colleagues, customers and the community. “In that regard we, at LIME, in terms of our commitment to the community, have pledged to spend in the region of five million US dollars in the areas of music, culture, sports; and a festival like Moonsplash is certainly one of those that we will continue to be a part of,” he said.

Mr. Romney was of the view that there was a very good mix of performers in the line-up, underpinned by Anguilla’s own Bankie Banx who had broken through in a number of areas in terms of reggae music not only in the Caribbean but internationally as well.

Olaide Banks, Executive Producer of Moonsplash, said the festival would take place from Thursday March 26 to Sunday March 29. It will commence with local string band music and food on the beach and a live performance at the Dune Preserve. On Friday there will be music and other activities on the beach, with Dwayne Stevenson performing in the night on the main stage. There will also be events on the beach on Saturday and then in the night perfornances by Inner Circle and Bankie Banx and the Roots & Herbs. On Sunday there will be an A-class boat race, a live band and other activities on the beach.

Banks was happy that the Anguilla Tourist Board was continuing to be one of the festival’s major sponsors and that LIME, formerly Cable and Wireless, was also on board. He was also grateful to the National Bank of Anguilla for its continued sponsorship. He also expressed thanks to other sponsors including Caribbean Liquors and Tobacco in St. Maarten and the Professional Services Group in Anguilla, headed by Scott Hauser. He said that Moonsplash was now it in its 19th year and he hoped that the festival would continue to grow and in terms of the messages it conveyed about Anguilla as a destination.

Replying to a reporter’s question, Banks said that taken into account all the varied expenses involved, Moonsplash had an overall price tag in the region of US$200,000.

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