Anguilla’s own Olaide Banks embraces the musical legacy established by his father, Bankie Banx, and defines his own space in The Gospel music arena.
Olaide Banks has been an important part of the Banks’ musical family, largely behind the scenes, working on the management and business teams for both Bankie Banx, and his brother, Test Cricketer turned reggae rocker, Omari Banks. Olaide is also known locally and regionally, in the entertainment field, for his run as the co-lead of the Moonsplash Music Festival with his father, Bankie. The younger Banks was integral in Moonsplash for several years, in the early 2000s, highlighted by the massive “Jimmy Buffett: Tunes On The Dune Concert,” in 2007.
Banks, who is still involved in aspects of business and management with Bankie Banx, Omari Banks and the Moonsplash Music Festival, is an ordained minister and worship leader based in Houston, Texas. He recently participated in a Q & A exclusively for The Anguillian.
Q: What do you have on the horizon musically?
A: I’m excited about what God is doing right now with me in Ministry. I recently released the EP called “The Story.” An EP is a short form of my full album due. It is a way to introduce what I’m doing to the marketplace. The EP includes 6 songs and the album will have 11 songs.
Q: Tell us about your music. What should people know about your music?
A: My music reflects my faith. The styles on the EP, and the full album, range from reggae to traditional and contemporary gospel, and some Afrobeat. But in the end it’s all about my Christian faith.
Q: What are you hoping to accomplish with your music?
A: My music and my ministry is one of encouragement. I want to encourage people to see that our God is a loving God and he cares deeply about all people. I’m hoping to reach people on a deeply personal level. I hope that people will take some time to step away from their religion, their dogma, and their politics, and just experience love.
Q: How does your music connect personally with people?
A: Each of my songs is deeply personal to me in that I wrote each one, and composed the music for each one from a place of personal peace and surrender. Also each song is rooted in the scripture, and the scripture says that it can down to even the spirit of men and women. That has been the feedback that people have shared. People have said that they feel like the words were speaking directly to them, and that made them feel hopeful.
Q: Tell us about your upcoming album.
A: My upcoming album is called “One Worship”, and it will be released in June 2019. The name comes from the scripture in Ephesians 4 where we are called to unity in the Body of Christ. The album will be very diverse in terms of the styles, and the various collaborations, but the message is singular – God is Love!
Q: How can people hear your music? Do you plan to perform on Anguilla?
A: People can get my music on all digital platforms, including: iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, and Tidal. People can also reach out to me on Facebook and Instagram @olaidebanks and my website www.obworship.com.
I’m definitely looking forward to doing a few Ministry events on Anguilla and across the Caribbean before the end of the year. We’re working on that now. They will include other worshippers and ministers including my friend and collaborator, Kaiheem Richardson.
