Olaide Banks, son of Anguillan singer Bankie Banx, recently released his debut reggae album All The Colours. According to him, his father was instrumental in his career.

“My father was and is very instrumental, but probably not in the way people might expect. I worked behind the scenes managing my dad and my brother [Omari] for many years and so I learned a lot of insights on the business side from him, as well as the songwriting side just from being around and studying his music. I also rely on some of the relationships that I’ve built through working with my dad — like Benjy Myaz and Steven Stanley, who were both big parts of my album. As I have charted my own course, he has been supportive and encouraging, but very hands off. Still, his influence on my approach to songwriting and connecting with an audience are strong,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Jamaican fans were first introduced to Bankie Banx’s captivating baritone at Reggae Sunsplash where he gave notable performances in 1983 and 1992. His songs include Still in Paradise, Find It, Takin’ Over, and Big Chief.

Meanwhile, his brother Omari is a former West Indies cricketer who appeared in 10 Test matches. In 2011, he began to pursue his musical career and became less involved in playing regional cricket. He retired from cricket in January 2012.

Olaide Banks has also taken multiple trips to Jamaica from their Anguillan home, crediting Portland as his favourite parish.

All The Colours was released on October 21 on the Banx Music label. The 12-track project features musicians such as Michael “MEGAHBASS” Fletcher, saxophonist Dean Fraser, renowned drummer Kirk Bennett, and Benjy Myaz.

“The name of the album is All The Colours because it has a range of musical styles and sounds, so the idea was to create something diverse and colourful. The different styles are used to convey different emotions and hopefully it all comes together to paint one picture and tell one story,” the artiste explained.

At the same time, the singer says he hopes to captivate the region with the album’s selections.

“My hope is that over time some of my songs will become tied to some of the most memorable moments in people’s lives. I hope that dads and daughters will dance to Loving You at weddings. I hope that people will remember their mothers and grandmothers [and] want to listen to All The Colours. I hope that young schoolers will sing Smile at their school programmes. I want to be part of how we tell the stories of wholeness,” he said.