I love Sunday afternoons at Da Vida on Anguilla. Omari Banks and his band perform, so you know you’ll have great music accompanying your lunch. The thing I love the most about Sunday afternoons is that families gather together. I love the buzz of families and friends enjoying a meal and catching up. This Sunday was even more special as we celebrated a birthday, the 26th birthday of Anguilla’s own Miss Universe Great Britain, Dee Ann Kentish-Rogers!
If you haven’t heard Dee Ann’s story, it’s pretty inspirational, and tells a story of a very determined and gifted young woman. Dee Ann was a heptathlete, representing Anguilla in the Commonwealth Games. Sidelined with a knee injury, she took a different path, and in 2018, was crowned Miss Universe Great Britain. Her reign was a historic one. Dee Ann was the first black woman to represent Great Britain in the Miss Universe Pageant, and she finished in the Top 20 at the pageant held in December. On top of that, she is a law graduate from the University of Birmingham, and during her reign, passed her exams to become a barrister. She’s a very accomplished young woman, and quite gracious and charming as well.
It turns out that Dee Ann was home for the holidays, and that Sunday was her 26th birthday! Omari noted the occasion with a special rendition of “Happy Birthday,” and Dee Ann joined him on stage, with her family nearby. Any Sunday at Da Vida is a great treat, but to be part of this celebration made us feel even more like family.
You can’t go wrong with any Sunday at Da Vida. Have lunch, enjoy the beach, or take a kayak over to Little Bay.
To preserve those great memories when you get home, see Omari about a CD which he’ll autograph, or purchase his music on iTunes. We have enjoyed Omari on previous lunches at Da Vida, and we were on the island in November of 2014 for the video release party of No Point to Prove. He really is a must-see if you visit Anguilla.
What a great afternoon!
All photographs in this post were shot on film, using the Canon EOS 1v on Kodak Ektachrome E100, Kodak Ektar 100, and Kodak Portra 800. Processing and scanning by Richard Photo Lab.
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