OMARI BANKS

Omari Banks first performed at age five, on stage with his father, Bankie Banx, in Milan, Italy. Bankie is the Anguillan reggae legend who founded the Moonsplash festival at his beachside Dune Preserve. Omari kept a guitar with him through a decade of professional cricket. In 2003, at 20, Brian Lara called him up and he became the first Anguillan to play Test cricket for the West Indies. In his first Test series he scored 47 not out in West Indies' record 418/7 run chase against Australia, then the highest successful fourth‑innings chase in Test history. He went on to play for the Leeward Islands, Leicestershire and Somerset.

He retired from cricket in 2012 to make music full‑time. His debut album Move On was recorded in Jamaica, Houston and Anguilla, with players including Sly Dunbar, Robbie Lyn and Stephen "Cat" Coore of Third World. It reached #4 on Germany's Riddim Magazine Top 10 Reggae Albums of 2015. "Unafraid" was Tempo's #1 hit of 2013, and "No Point To Prove," with Grammy winner Peetah Morgan, went into rotation on VH1. That fall he opened Morgan Heritage's Strictly Roots European Tour. He played SXSW in 2016 and premiered his second album, Sunlight (2017), at London's Notting Hill Arts Club, hosted by BBC presenter Robbo Ranx. Sunlight includes "System Set" with Duane Stephenson, recorded at Tuff Gong, and "Me and You," produced by Jason "J Vibes" Farmer. He took his music on a reggae tour of India in 2018.

His recent releases are "Educate Us," "Africa Identity" (2024, with Dean Fraser on saxophone), and "Living It Up" (2025). He produced "Living It Up" and recorded it with his old youth‑cricket teammate, West Indies legend Chris Gayle. He also works as a talent‑competition judge and motivational speaker. That includes the TelCell Breakthrough Talent Finals in St. Maarten (2016), where he judged how contestants "communicate in your performance." He has represented Anguilla as a cultural ambassador, including at Toronto Fashion Week. His 2026 US dates include The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton, the Spire Center in Plymouth, MA, and the Avalon Foundation in Easton, MD. A new album is due in 2027.

Forbes: "With his dashing good looks, rockstar stage presence and impressive singer songwriter skills, the younger Banks is well poised to carry on his father's legacy and take Anguillan reggae international." — https://www.forbes.com/sites/bazdreisinger/2016/04/22/moonsplash‑in‑anguilla‑a-big‑reggae‑festival‑on‑a-tiny‑island/

BET: "Commanded the stage with a Jimi Hendrix‑reminiscent presence. He did not come to play — he came to slay."

Jamaica Observer: Omari Banks & Chris Gayle, "Living It Up" (2025) — https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2025/06/25/omari‑banks‑chris‑gayle‑living/

Music‑News: Banks & Gayle join forces for summer anthem — https://www.music‑news.com/news/Underground/182858/Omari‑Banks‑Chris‑Gayle‑join‑forces‑for‑summer‑anthem‑Living‑It‑Up

Quite Great Music: "the ultimate Caribbean vibe" — https://quitegreatmusic.monkjackpublishing.com/2025/07/18/omari‑banks‑chris‑gayle‑drop‑the‑ultimate‑caribbean‑vibe‑with‑living‑it‑up/

ESPN (video) — https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/23647878

HuffPost: Former cricketer turned reggae rocker — https://www.huffpost.com/entry/omari‑banks‑former‑cricke_b_10010476

Caribbean Beat: "All I wanted to do was play my guitar" (2016) — https://www.caribbean‑beat.com/issue‑139/omari‑banks‑all‑i-wanted‑was‑play‑guitar

The Anguillian: "Omari Banks: More Than Music" (2025) — https://theanguillian.com/2025/08/omari‑banks‑more‑than‑music/

Jamaicans.com: Joins Morgan Heritage on 2015 European Tour — https://jamaicans.com/international‑reggae‑recording‑artist‑omari‑banks‑joins‑morgan‑heritage‑on‑fall‑2015‑european‑tour/

SXSW 2016 official showcase — https://schedule.sxsw.com/2016/events/event_MS36252

Awards: Best New Artist 2017 (Irie Jam Radio); Artist of the Year nominee 2017 (Linkage Radio)