Travels In Song (2nd excerpt from chapter 18)

From Indiana, it took a full day of travel on two planes, an ocean ferry and a rented car to get to the old vacation resort of Rendezvous Bay, on the Caribbean island of Anguilla. We gambled on the weather, venturing to this remote place as hurricane season roared down and the tourist season hadn't geared up yet. The Rendezvous Bay Resort was situated in a quiet area on a long, desolate beach. We loved to walk that beach to the music of the waves. One evening, we heard reggae music coming from one of the oceanside shacks.

Locals had mentioned the Dune Preserve Bar and so we wandered inside a structure that seemed to be constructed from old warehouse pieces and assorted debris. In fact, it was, since it had been rebuilt more than once after hurricanes lashed the tiny island. Upstairs, a reggae band played energetically, though there were few customers. We were reluctant to stay, but a dreadlocked man warmly welcomed us inside and we ordered a beer. Small, skinny dogs and cats roamed the ramshackle rooms and a sweet smell, probably ganja, lingered in the air. As the band pounded reggae rhythms in the next room, we sat down across from a couch where a middle-aged black man lay sprawled.

"Where y'all from?" Bankie Banx asked. When I replied "Indiana," Bankie quizzed me about bluegrass music. "How can they play so fast?" he wondered. After awhile, another man appeared, blowing into a saxophone as he jammed with the reggae sounds. Michael was another Anguillan, friendly and talkative. We relaxed and enjoyed the place awhile longer before we trekked along the moonlit shore to the resort. Later, I learned that Bankie was somewhat of a celebrity on Anguilla, a genuine reggae star with a philanthropic heart for his island country. Although I didn't know his music, I learned that he mostly sang about his life and love for his tiny homeland. The Dune Preserve Bar lived up to its name. It wasn't about playing "I Shot the Sheriff" for tourists; it was about "preserving" the music inside that needs to be preserved.