Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: You know in life you're going to fall down and you might fall on your ass, but you have to get up. You have to get up and go again. Never sit down and say life is too bad today. It's not going to work. It's going to work every day as long as you want it to. You have to make it.
[00:00:17] Speaker B: Welcome to Came Here to Love, a podcast hosted by me, Liz Logan, where we explore heart centered conversations with visionary leaders from around the world. This podcast is a journey into wisdom, a path to transformation, and an invitation to catch the highest vibration of all love, elevating our lives and connecting us more deeply to ourselves and the world around us. Our mission is simple, to live with passion, align with purpose, and spread more love. In each episode, we invite compassionate leaders to share insights, personal breakthroughs, and heart inspired ideas that impact change not only in our own lives, but also in our communities and the world beyond. Whether you're seeking new perspectives, deeper connection, or a sense of purpose, Came Here to Love offers transformative insights that inspire, enlighten and remind us all why we're here to love.
[00:01:13] Speaker C: So get ready for a really beautiful episode on Came Here to Love because today I sit down with the man behind the most famous bar. Maybe in the world, but for sure in the Caribbean islands in Mustique, I sit down with Basil Charles, who grew up in the island of St. Vincent, which was right next to Mustique, and eventually, after a really rough childhood, he would move over to the newly developed island of Mustique to see what opportunities might await him. He met Colin Tennant, the recently deceased Lord Glenconor, who was developing the land. Tennant gave Basil a job of barman in the only hotel on the island, the Cotton House, and this is where Basil would start his success. Eventually, Tennant opened a standalone bar right at the ocean in which Basil, at 29, could work his magic and name the bar in the honor of his proprietary Basil. Basil's personal life would probably be a book on its own, but to stay to the story of the bar. In 1981, several patrons, including Princess Margaret's son, tried to buy the bar and convert it into a private club to keep the raff out. Basil won that and owned the establishment, keeping the friendly doors open to all. Basil came to serve cocktails to the late Princess Margaret, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Amy Winehouse, Mick Jagger, Kate Moss. And when the time came in 2011, he would receive a coveted invitation to Kate and William's royal wedding. Basil definitely made the cut. He still mixes drinks at Basil's daily, despite having sold it to the Musti company two years ago. You have to love what you do more than anything else to be a good host. He muses. When I handed over Basil's I said, For 40 years, I don't remember a single day that I didn't want to go to work. I am the luckiest guy because I'm always home. When I'm there, every day presents something new and I never know who will come by. This is who we are talking to today on Came Here to Love. Get ready for this exciting conversation.
Today on Came Here to Love everyone. We are sitting down with Basil Charles of really of Mustique island is how I know you. But you were just telling me that you also own a Hotel in St.
[00:03:27] Speaker A: Vincent and a restaurant that I had there for about 30 years to a small restaurant.
[00:03:31] Speaker C: It's amazing. So let's dive right into your story because you are such a fascinating human and I feel like you've done so much in the short time you've been here on Earth. And so first of all, take us into where you were born and then we'll, we'll travel the journey. I'd love to eventually end up at Basel Bar, which is what you're most famous for. But let's, let's go ahead and walk through your path. Where. Where were you born?
[00:03:56] Speaker A: I was born in St. Vincent in a small village called Choice Village at the. The city called Bayabi B I N Bou. It's on the eastern side of St. Vincent, eastern coast to the Atlantic. And I grew up there for a while. My mother died when I was nine years old. I grew up with my grandmother, went to school there and things were really quite terrible.
[00:04:24] Speaker C: Yeah, a rough life, right?
[00:04:26] Speaker A: It was a rough life I lived. I more or less leave school and went to work.
[00:04:30] Speaker C: Was that pretty typical of the island people who can't.
[00:04:35] Speaker A: Who don't have any other, you know. I had no. My father was not there to do anything. We had no money. And so I started work at the age of 11. Actually, I was going to school and work and then by 14, I started to work full time.
[00:04:52] Speaker C: What was your first job?
[00:04:53] Speaker A: My first job was in the church, would you believe?
[00:04:56] Speaker C: I love it. And what did you do for the church?
[00:04:59] Speaker A: I grew up in the church, so I became what you call a soccer son, which is help, help the priests and shine all the candlesticks and get things ready for the Mass.
[00:05:12] Speaker C: Very important job. Yeah, very important job.
[00:05:15] Speaker A: I think mostly people do it for nothing, but I think the Priest said we were supposed to. I got paid like 11. $11 a month. Wow. In those days.
[00:05:27] Speaker C: Wow. That. What year was that?
[00:05:29] Speaker A: I was like 11 years old. So that's a long time ago. I was born in 1947. 11. So it's.
[00:05:38] Speaker C: Yeah, that's a long. Yeah, a few years ago. A few years ago. So. So you started working at a very young age. I mean, I just want to honor just your, your childhood because you have a remarkable story and one which I really want to highlight today, which is that you didn't come from and you've made such a beautiful life for yourself. And just the fact of losing one parent and then having another one, not really there. You know, I do think that it's an amazing story that you had. Your grandmother, she was basically the one that, that taught you how to be who you are. Was she?
[00:06:14] Speaker A: Yeah, well, she was all very loving. I mean, you know, she thought about giving and never want anything in return and everything. She was very spiritual. My grandmother, I think she, I mean she's responsible for who I am in many ways.
[00:06:28] Speaker C: She gave you the tools and the wisdom teachings. It sounds like for you to navigate your life.
[00:06:34] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:06:36] Speaker C: What was one of the things that stuck with you that she taught you or told you as a child or as a young boy?
[00:06:45] Speaker A: I think many things she taught me. But one of the things she taught most was, you know, we were very poor and I complained to my grandmother about things. We don't have this, we don't have that. And she said to me one day, all you do is complain. I'm an old woman. You're a young man. You have to, you know, if you want things, you have to go get it. And she taught me about love and giving.
Giving was one of the most important thing. Giving without ask for anything in return was very important.
[00:07:15] Speaker C: That surely shows up how you live your life.
[00:07:18] Speaker A: Yeah, I tried my best.
[00:07:23] Speaker C: You're so cute. You're so cute. Well, so then from there you're. You're a young man and now you're living in St. Vincent, working and then how. How do you end up on Mustique? How. I mean, how does that journey take us, take us through that. Where. How do you, how do you end up there opening a. One of the most famous bars in the world?
[00:07:44] Speaker A: Well, you know, things goes. I mean, things happen so quickly and, and so much things happen during those early years. I mean, you know, I did things for six months, number one, I, I went to mechanic. I became a motor mechanic. Worked for that for a little While then I walk in the city with the gentleman. And I had like two jobs. I work as a salesman in the day. And then he had a kind of nightclub called the Wrong Table. And so I went there as to help. And after a while, him and his manager had a. Had a follow and he said you could do it. So I took it over for a while.
[00:08:25] Speaker C: Wow. And this was still in St. Vincent?
[00:08:27] Speaker A: Still in St. Vincent.
[00:08:28] Speaker C: Okay, okay.
[00:08:29] Speaker A: And as I said, so much things happening so, so fast to time. Then I went to work on an island called Pitti St. Vincent.
[00:08:38] Speaker C: Oh, I love Petit Timkinson, which is.
[00:08:41] Speaker A: Just a result, but I had this really great crave for traveling and things like that. So I walked there for. For a few months and save all the money I had and all my tips that I make. And in those days, the Canadian government had given the islands to boats called Federal Farm and Federal Maple. And they actually took people on cargo from starting south in Trinidad and all the way up to Jamaica, passing all the islands.
[00:09:14] Speaker C: Beautiful.
[00:09:14] Speaker A: And so I decided. I cash in all my. All my money and decided to be a deck passenger. You could be a cabin passenger? Deck passenger. Since I didn't have enough money, I became a deck passenger and decided to go to the islands.
[00:09:30] Speaker C: That's amazing. That's amazing because you had never really seen all the islands at that point.
[00:09:35] Speaker A: No, it was a remarkable trip. And I mean, I come off on this island, go, and then catch up with the boat. It was always very. I wanted to see what was happening here and what was happening there.
[00:09:46] Speaker C: Yeah, you were curious about life, don't you think? You've always been very curious about life.
[00:09:51] Speaker A: Totally and completely.
[00:09:53] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:09:54] Speaker A: Anyhow, I stayed up in Montserrat and lived there for the. This was 1970, so I lived in Montserrat for about nine months for the rest of 1970. And in December, I decided to come home and see my grandmother, who was still alive. I stayed in St. Vincent during, you know, December. By January, I'm very hot feet want to do something, Want to move again before all my little chains ran out.
[00:10:23] Speaker C: I love it.
[00:10:25] Speaker A: And so I heard about Mystique. And first there was a job as a mechanic, and then I thought I didn't make enough money. And my fingers were always dot, you know, so.
[00:10:38] Speaker C: Your fingers are always dirty. You're like, I'm not doing this anymore.
[00:10:43] Speaker A: And then they said, there's this new hotel, small hotel, and they want the bamboo. And I said I could do that since I ran.
And coming over to Mustique was really such A.
An adventure.
[00:10:58] Speaker C: What did you know about. Because what did, what did you know about the island at that point? I mean, you had heard about it, but what did you hear about it?
[00:11:05] Speaker A: Nothing. Not very much. But what happened two days before? Big the French Antilles. The French liner called the Antilles, that garner ground name and burnt. And so the fire was burning. It burnt for six weeks, however, so, so I came over while that boat was burning. So to get a job over here. This lady, Billy Mitchell, she a Texan, was running the hotel and telephones. Well, this was beginning of 1971, literally the beginning. And telephones didn't work. So they had a ship to show radio in a company in Saint Vincent called Corey's, which still exists. And we shout, we shouted each other. And so she said, come down on the mailboat and have an interview. In 1971, on the 10th of January, when I came to Mystique, there were hardly any roads, hardly any electricity, there was no cars, very few. There was minimums.
So I got a ride up to the Cotton House, the hotel.
[00:12:08] Speaker C: It was already built. The Cotton House was already there.
[00:12:10] Speaker A: Yeah. With eight bedrooms.
[00:12:12] Speaker C: Eight bedrooms. Okay, so let's pause there just to. To give everyone where we are in the world. So we are in the most beautiful part of the Caribbean islands. And Mustique is a. It's still a private island, technically, yes. And we are speaking with Basil Charles of Basil's Bar in Mustique. And we're going to get to that story as, as we go along. But this is one of the most extraordinary humans I've had the pleasure of spending time with. And his stories run so deep that I really wanted him to share some of those on today's podcast. So Basil, take us. Okay, so now you. You've had this interview. You. You've gone to Mustique. You're. You're working for the Cotton House. I didn't realize the Cotton House was the first. It was really essentially one of the first things on the island.
[00:12:59] Speaker A: Yes, absolutely. It was an old cotton mill and broke down. And so calling tenants who restored it, the great room became the dining room and the meeting room. And there were eight bedrooms. That's all.
[00:13:13] Speaker C: That's amazing. Still charming like it is today, though, right? Like it was. It's still. Yeah.
[00:13:19] Speaker A: But there was a funny time of meeting Colin Tennant, so, so I, you know, I, I guess I better tell you the story.
[00:13:27] Speaker C: You have to.
[00:13:28] Speaker A: I'm in the bath one, you know, coming near to sunset. And this. I didn't know. I. I never met him. I heard about him. And he walked into the bar with two other gentlemen and he came up and he said, my name is. Sent his hand out. My name is Colin Tennant. What's your name? My name is Basil. And he said, basil, what is it? Basil Charles, but most people call me Basil. So introduced me to his friends and he said, do you know how to make a Roman Coke? And I said, not really. And he said, what are you doing? What are you doing behind my bar? And I said, well, I'll explain to you. I say, you asked me for a rum and Coke. Behind me there is about six different rum and all different glasses. I said I could, without looking, I could just put my hand back, take up a glass, large glass full of ice. Take any bottle of rum, give you the dose, you know, one and a half ounce, pull it up with Coke and give you a twist of lime as you also. Is that how you would like your lemon Coke? And he said, oh, no, no, no. And he turned to his two friends, he said, maybe we found somebody who knows to run a bath.
[00:14:36] Speaker C: Wow, that's so cool. Because. Because what was your version of that? Like, how did you interpret that?
[00:14:42] Speaker A: Well, because mostly people still do it. Today you go in the office for a drink in a bar, and if I'm going to have a rum and Coke, I say, what rum? I want, how much of everything. However, he turned around and he said to me, he showed me the glass, a shot glass. I like a stiff shot of white Bacardi, a dash of Coke and a squeeze of lime. And I said to him, do you think I could have figured out that house without you telling me? And he said to me, nobody have ever asked me. And I said, so you have actually drunk all these disgusting ramen coke that you didn't like because you didn't bother to tell anybody? And he said, I did. It was so sweet with me, you know, that was the beginning of great friendship. Changed my life forever.
[00:15:32] Speaker C: Yeah. And I think it's. It's so important what you're saying, because I think we do. We kind of go with the flow and just go with the norm. And whatever we're given, we're just kind of like, okay, great, that's. That's fine. But what you're actually, what I think you tapped into, which I think you've done so well, which is why people love you from all over the world and why you have so many friendships and really a fanfare base at this point. But you listen to what people want and you listen to what people have to say. And I think that, you know, going back to what your grandmother taught you about giving, and you're. You're giving so much of yourself in everything that you do. And I really want to appreciate that about you right now because it's true. You have the option, you could give somebody a rum and coke, as standard rum and coke goes, or you could actually ask how they want their rum and coke. And I love that you chose that path. And I think that's truly a sign of what made you so successful in your own world.
[00:16:35] Speaker A: So I said to him, the next time you come to the bar, by the time you reach Dubai, there will be a rum and Coke waiting for you.
[00:16:41] Speaker C: Yeah. No, that's beautiful.
[00:16:43] Speaker A: And that was the beginning of one of the greatest friendship and maybe what changed my life.
[00:16:49] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. And so how long were you at the Cottonwood?
[00:16:53] Speaker A: Well, I woke up in the cotton house for that year. It was a short season. Then by the next year I had a job helping Colin. Princess Margaret, when she come to the island in those days, she loved picnic. I mean, she never have a lunch anyway, but on the beach. So my job was to get the lunch from the hotel, take it to the beach, whichever beach there was, and when it was finished, get it back, stay there with them, get the things back. So I became like I worked for Previews Co. And I did that until 1973. And in 1973, the little airport they had in Mustique, I started to run the airport.
[00:17:36] Speaker C: Wow, you did everything.
[00:17:38] Speaker A: Yeah, I ran the airport. I ran the few houses they had. I was running the airport and the houses all at one time. There wasn't a lot of house. Maybe nine, eight.
[00:17:48] Speaker C: So Princess Margaret started coming to Mustique. Was she kind of the first royalty that. That really hit the island or take us through, I guess. I'd love for you to. To help. Help the audience understand why Mustique became such a famous island for so many wealthy people. But also pretty famous people still Mystique. So how did that become a thing?
[00:18:12] Speaker A: Colin bought the island in 1958. He said to deliver it, develop it properly in 1969.
[00:18:20] Speaker C: And who did you say bought it?
[00:18:22] Speaker A: Colin Tennant, who became known as Lord Glenn Connor. Okay. And well, his father was alive, so he wasn't allowed. Glenn Connor until his father died. Colin, he started to make roads and sell plots and to people to build houses. He wanted to create this incredible special place for special people.
He knew Princess Margaret and when she was getting married, he said to Her Royal Highness, would you like me to Go buy, get you a present that I could wrap in a package. Or would you like a plot of my land from my island that I own in the Caribbean?
She said, I like a plot of mine from you.
[00:19:12] Speaker C: Wow. What a wedding gift.
[00:19:14] Speaker A: Yes. And she came later. She built a house and was coming once or twice a year. It was. And lots of people came. When I got there in 1971, they were three houses built. For instance, My Royal Highness did not have a house yet.
There was Fibblestone, there was Sister, and there was Blue Waters. All the other houses on the island, I actually seen them all built.
[00:19:45] Speaker C: Wow, you've been there a while. So when did Basil's Bar come into play for you?
[00:19:51] Speaker A: Well, Colin Tennant In 1976, soldiers 60% of the island to Hans Neumann Venezuelan, which was the managing share. By then I had worked for the Mustique Company and Kalin Company for five years. So he said to me, I sold the island. I don't know if these people want to give you a job. However, I have this little bar down by the thing. I had actually did a short spell around in the bar for the. For the owner. It was a tiny bar by that time. And he said, how would you like to. We should set up the bar and make a barn restaurant. The island needs some place for fun, some fun place for people to go to, because Cotton House is the only place. And, you know, it's. It's what it is, but it's a little bit. Nobody wanted to come out of the beach and walk into this big room and have a drink at the bar by themselves. He said, yes. And we sat down.
That same year, he was his 50th, where he was having a huge party. Anyway, so the bar was put in place and we did the first actually party for his. Did some of the parties for his 50th birthday.
[00:21:02] Speaker C: Wow. And that was. That was the beginning of Basil's, or was that. That was still his bar and then it became Basil's.
[00:21:09] Speaker A: It was his bar. We sat down, I mean, without even writing down, without the contract. He said, okay, every famous bar have a name like Harry's Bar in Venice, right? And he named another name. And I said, so we call it. So we call it Collins Bar. He said, no, I'm not going to run it. Call it Basil's Bar. And I said, but I don't own it. They say we call it Basil's Bar. And we named the restaurant the Rough because he was, you know, he was on the rock when it built out into the Sea. So it was Basil, Basil's Bar and the Ralph Restaurant. Actually the Basil's bar remain and the Ralph restaurant just went into Basil's Bar became Basil's Bar, restaurant and nightclub and everything.
[00:21:49] Speaker C: And it just did it just naturally take off. I mean this is as, as, as our audience is listening to this conversation. If you guys haven't been sailing or down to the Caribbean, this one, one, it's, it's the most spectacular island. That whole band of islands is so special in that part of the Caribbean. Basil's bar is one of the most magical places within all of it because it's very lively.
You've done such a great job of really curating this combination of laid back experience but also community. It really is kind of the hub of the community of Mustique where everyone gathers and has fun and meets for all the different nights. I'd love to hear a little about the theme parties that you've been having and the jump up nights and some of the guest appearances that have come into the bar just as participants but have really contributed to the success of what Basil's has been known for.
[00:22:51] Speaker A: Well, number one, there was no other place on the island. There was Cotton House and nobody, you know, as I say, it wasn't so laid back. It was kind of stuffy, even if I say so. And so they want a relaxing place. We opened the bar. We started as a bar and the bar was, it was a small place. So we had a long bar and we made toasted sandwiches at the end of the bar. That's how we started. So we had a bar and made toasted sandwiches and small menu with toasted sandwich and things like that. And you could come in the evening and get a toasted sandwich. And we had a thing. If you would like to have dinner, if you give us 24 hours notice and tell us how much we would do it. But we started a Wednesday night barbecue. So every Wednesday night we set to make a buffet dinner and we invite everybody to come. Well, in those days everybody came from her royal Highness to whoever is on the island. Yeah, they all came to the bar and have. The bar was small, of course we expanded and make it to. As people come, we make it bigger and whatever. But we had lively music from the stereo. Later on we set to have a band. So it was like it took off. I mean it had a life of its own. And I was there all the time. I did everything, I served all the drinks, I made drinks, I cooked. Sometimes I, you know, and I dance.
[00:24:22] Speaker C: Well, you became the reason people came, I mean, honestly, it was, it was your show and it was your. That your incredible genius of just this magic creation that I think everyone just felt. You know, every time I've been to Basil's, which I started sailing in the, in the Caribbean when I was in college and then later in my 20s, and every time you go into that space, it's like a big hug, you know, it's just this warm welcome embrace of like you've made it somewhere special and there's magic that happens here. And the walls, like, if you don't have many walls because you're right on the sea floor and it's magical way as well. You've got this turquoise water at the, at the floor. But if the walls could talk, what would be some of the stories that the walls of Basil's bar could tell? Like, what are some highlights?
[00:25:17] Speaker A: There was, There was a couple of really funny highlights, you know, as the bar got going, people started coming. I remember one evening I was invited for dinner and there was. Her Royal Highness was in my seat, but she was going on to somewhere to do something for engagement. So she had a hairdresser called Sophie. And so Sophie and I, we. We started chatting and we got invited to dinner with somebody. And the dinner was so boring.
So we went down after dinner, we got into my Volkswagen and then I went down to the bar and actually, I didn't own the bar at the time. It was just. That was the funny thing. The bar was just there and it was called the Sand Dollar. So we went into the bar and Her Royal Highness was sitting, was sitting there and then a few people and this, this lady and I, we asked him to put on the music. We decided to dance and you know the buys right on the beach.
We got, we got. We thought the dinner we had was so boring, so we danced and then we actually just took our shoes off. Mostly we didn't wear shoes anyway. And those days, right, and we went down to the beach and we were just dancing on the water and we actually. That's literally went and danced fully clothed and into the sea.
[00:26:52] Speaker C: Beautiful.
[00:26:53] Speaker A: And in no time, everybody who was in the bar but Her Royal Highness came into the water and started to dance too. It was like the most incredible thing. I never thought. I mean, you know, I didn't plan it. It wasn't anything that was right. It just happened.
[00:27:09] Speaker C: Yeah, you're, you're. You're an energy force that, that people want to be like you, though. I mean, it's. You're a Contagious, energetic blessing that kind of sweeps in and. And gets everybody more. You know what you remind me of? You remind me of somebody that. That motivates this vibrancy to life that, that you make us all want to get up and dance. I mean, it's a perfect description of what you're saying, because when I'm around you, that's the spirit of what I feel. You know, it's. It's that, like, let's live. Let's fully live life and. And do it all and experience it all. And I think that you've done such a remarkable job of really taking life in and really experiencing it all. And I think that's what you give people when they come to Basel's.
[00:28:00] Speaker A: The thing is, I mean, you know, when you think where they come from and, and the things. I mean, I still want to live life to the fullest and to have a band playing with music and people not dancing. When we had a barbecue, for instance, we had a party. I mean, the bands that play, I would. I would. The first thing I'll do, I just ask anybody who's. Let's dance. And if you start to dance, everybody start to dance.
[00:28:26] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. But you're setting a tone for people to be able to live fully, you know, And I think that's. That's the gift that you're giving is you're. You're saying it's okay to step out of your shell, out of your comfort zone, and really, like, get juicy and get into life. I mean, that's. That's the fun part. And I think that you've. Through your experience, through your upbringing, through having to work for everything that you've created in your life, literally, that experience has brought you into being one of the master teachers, I believe, of how you can really, really fully live. So thank you for being such a teacher to all of us, because I don't. I don't know if you think of yourself that way, but, you know, you've held a very big responsibility for a people to. To step into a deeper dimension of fun and joy and love for their life.
[00:29:22] Speaker A: I don't know if it's a responsibility, but life is worth living. You know, nothing is. Is too sorrowful to. I mean, if you. If you go to a place, there's music playing, forget about your problems. I mean, you know, the powers. Forget about your problems, have a drink, and let's dance and party. Tomorrow would still be there, and your problems might be there, and actually they might just go away.
[00:29:48] Speaker C: Yeah, you're yeah, exactly, exactly. You may lose sight of how important that problem was. So. So tell us, because you started doing this blues festival, which I think is one of the best things that you do at Basil's. There's so many wonderful things. I want to. I want to talk about two events. One, I want you to talk about how Jump up. It's called Jump up, isn't it? Jump up Night?
[00:30:10] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, we call it barbecue jump up. I mean.
[00:30:13] Speaker C: Oh, so it's combo with the barbecue.
[00:30:16] Speaker A: Yes, and I mean, we call it that. And I'm not sure that I was the one who invented the word, but I know I call it, let's have barbecue jump up.
Let's go down the baseline. Jump up night. And that's what happened. And today, still jump up Barbecue jump.
[00:30:35] Speaker C: And some of the people. Because this is what I think is so unique about your situation. So you have this gorgeous bar in a gorgeous island, and there's a lot of people coming in and out by boat. They're also staying in homes there, beautiful homes, or at the Cotton House. And there's a lot of famous people that are coming in and out of your world. And I would love to hear a story about how some of those famous people end up playing at Basil's Bar. Right. I mean, you've had some pretty famous people step up to the mic and either play an instrument or sing. Can you tell us any of that?
[00:31:10] Speaker A: Well, first of all, we. We. We started the Blues Festival 30 years ago. We just had the 30th anniversary.
[00:31:18] Speaker C: That's amazing.
[00:31:19] Speaker A: And I started it with a. Somebody I know from England. Dana Gillespie is a great friend of mine and a blues singer. And it started very small. And I thought, well, if the blues festival goes, we would. We said. I started a foundation called the Basel Charles Educational Foundation. And what money we make from the. From the blues. We help kids in St. Vincent to finish school. Since I didn't, I'll help as much people as I can.
[00:31:48] Speaker C: That's beautiful.
[00:31:49] Speaker A: Today. Today we have helped maybe about 4,000 kids doing all kinds of things. And we have 75 people in different secondary school across.
[00:32:00] Speaker C: That's amazing.
[00:32:01] Speaker A: But so we had, you know, we. During the blues festival sometime, famous people come, famous people go. And, you know, Mick Jack, who I met in 1971, the year I arrived at Mystique, he came after me and have property and still come back here. And I think it was in 05 or something like that. We didn't have so much musicians when we start. And one, one day we say, hey, how would you like to play for us? You know, play a couple of songs or something.
[00:32:35] Speaker C: You're asking Mick Jagger to come play a couple songs. I love, I love this.
[00:32:41] Speaker A: And he did. He was amazing.
[00:32:43] Speaker C: I can't even imagine what that experience would have been like.
[00:32:47] Speaker A: I think by what model people from back when, all the islands, I mean the boats in the bay in those days, I thought the bow would be. Would literally go into. People were dancing on the tables and the chairs. It was totally unbelievable.
[00:33:05] Speaker C: No, that's. And Mick Jaggers at the mic.
[00:33:07] Speaker A: It's incredible.
[00:33:09] Speaker C: Yeah, that's incredible. I love that. And that's exactly. Goes back to the place that you created. So, so you've done so much with your life. You've. You've obviously you've opened the, your heart, you've opened your home, which, which I believe was Basil's for so many years to so many people and, and you continually show up day after day after day, giving your light and love to the world. I would love to know if you could go back and tell your younger self, your. Your boy self, your 10 year old self something that you wish you knew, then is there anything that you would go back and say to that little boy?
[00:33:47] Speaker A: The thing is, if you wish you knew, if you know all these things when you're too young, I mean, I'm not sure you would walk so well, but I would actually say to my little boy, anyone you know in life, you're going to fall down and you might fall on your ass, but you have to get up. You have to get up and go again. Never ever satisfy, never take, never sit down and say, life is too bad today. It's not going to work. It's going to work every day as long as you want it to. You have to make it.
[00:34:18] Speaker C: Yeah. You have to make it. Yeah. And I do think that it is one of those things where you don't go back and you want to change the history because it has shaped who you are and all of the lessons that you needed to go through, you had to go through as part of your human curriculum to get to where you are. And I also think that it's really important for, for others to be hearing the message that you just said that, you know, even as adults there's so many people that aren't living in their full power, full potential because they're scared or they're fearful. And so I think that Basel is such a good example, you guys, of the. The idea that there's no dream too Too big. There's no dream too big. And that you got to keep going. You got to get up and do the hard work and show up. I mean, I think one of the beautiful things is, is that you've shown up every single day for your life. Like, you wake up, you show up, and then life presents itself to you, and you get to choose how you're going to react to that. So it's a really, really important lesson. And I have another question for you. What do you feel like the world needs more of right now?
[00:35:26] Speaker A: Always and forever? They will need a lot more love.
You need a lot more love. A lot more dancing. A lot more people need to lighten up and be happy. I mean, but you have to love. Love one another. Love where you are, love. Try to give back. Make this wall a better place than you made it. But maybe we can't make the whole world, but then your little space in your little environment, try to make it a better place. Yeah, but you could do it with love.
[00:36:02] Speaker C: Yeah. So the. The podcast is named Came Here to Love. And that's exactly why we're. We named it that and why I wanted to do these interviews. Because we are love. That is our core being. That is the basis of everything. We are love. And when you say the world needs more love, it's. It's. For me, that interpretation is this external giving and. And letting love out. But it's also this acknowledgment in this realization that we are the vibrational frequency of love. We are that energy. And when you become that. That real essence of who you are, then it's very easy to go out and be love and spread love and give love, because. Because you're acknowledging that deep internal place within you that we all are that one united love. So, yeah, thanks for bringing that up because it is the premise of why we're doing these conversations and to. To remember who we really are and how easy it is to give love, to be love, and to show up as love.
[00:37:11] Speaker A: Share it.
[00:37:12] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. So what I have to tell. I have to tell one of our. My. One of my favorite memories with you, actually. Do you remember when we were in Mexico? We brought you to Mexico because we were working on a project of opening a secondary Basil's bar, and we were in Correas in July. I think it was July because the rains were there. So we decided we were going to dinner, remember? Do you remember this night where we went to dinner at the hotel and all of a sudden this torrential downpour starts Happening. And it's pouring, right? And we are. We are literally. I mean, it's raining sideways. You can see the walls of water just coming at us. Everybody else in the restaurant scatters, and they go back to wherever, wherever they're staying. And we just. I'll never forget you with an umbrella just underneath an umbrella in this rainstorm. Just all this wind howling. And eventually the kitchen staff says, well, if you guys aren't going to leave, why don't you come into the kitchen? And so we go into the kitchen and we have this, I mean, pseudo chef's table in the back of this. In this kitchen, and we have this remarkable dinner. And we're laughing and we're crying with the staff, and it's just. It was so much fun. It was one of those moments where we have a saying in Colorado that says there's never bad weather, only bad clothing. And it kind of reminds me of what we were in because we were in this torrential. You know, it wasn't hurricane force winds, but it was definitely a big rainstorm.
[00:38:49] Speaker A: It was a big.
[00:38:50] Speaker C: And it was just magical. What happened, what we created out of that was such a beautiful remembrance around how you can make magic in life, no matter what the circumstance.
[00:39:02] Speaker A: So they invite us to come into the kitchen, and it was so beautiful.
[00:39:08] Speaker C: It was. It was like being invited into their home. And I. I felt like part of the reason that happened is because I think I know. I don't think I know that. Because you've done that so much of your life, it's also what you attract. And so it was just a really fun experience to be with Basil in Mexico in the middle of this torrential rainstorm in the back of a bar or it was a restaurant. And they just made. Remember, they made us some beautiful off. Off the menu meal. And we. It was great. It was such a great night.
[00:39:42] Speaker A: Absolutely. I can't remember what we have, but, yes, it just made us things. And it was all great. I mean, the whole evening became such a beautiful evening after that.
[00:39:51] Speaker C: It was so beautiful. It was really beautiful. Okay, answer. Just fill in the blank. I am blank.
[00:39:58] Speaker A: I am what?
[00:39:59] Speaker C: What do you want to say, you are what I am, and then fill in that blank.
[00:40:03] Speaker A: Well, what is it people say? I am what I am what I am what I am.
[00:40:09] Speaker C: I love it. I love it.
[00:40:10] Speaker A: Life is kind of beautiful. I mean, you know, I'm in a good place, good space, and I live every day to the fullest.
[00:40:20] Speaker C: Yeah, I try to value. Well, you do, you do. You've set yourself up in a beautiful way to that just be your expression. What do you want to be known for? What do you want your legacy to be?
[00:40:31] Speaker A: I don't know. It's just people. Legacy. I mean, you know, I want people to remember I passed this way. You know, I pass this way and maybe hopefully I, I, I give back and I touch some people, you know, so they remember maybe my laugh, my smile, my gift and my dancing, whatever. But fun things. Joy, joy thing. Because I. That's who I am.
[00:40:58] Speaker C: Yeah. No, I feel like, I feel like you have done your job here on planet Earth. You have done such a beautiful job of giving us so much of yourself and, and the beauty that you are, the love that you are, the light that you are. I can't imagine not smiling when I think of you. And I think that's kind of the, the legacy is that you just. You light up a room and you light up all of us and, and so I'm blessed to know you. I'm really grateful our paths crossed and I look forward to coming back down to Mustique and enjoying some time and going to your hotel in St. Vincent. I definitely want to check that out. That sounds awesome.
[00:41:37] Speaker A: Yeah. I buy you dinner?
[00:41:38] Speaker C: Yeah, I would love that. I would love that. I so appreciate you being here with us.
[00:41:43] Speaker A: Thank you for asking me.
[00:41:45] Speaker C: Yeah, definitely. To be continued. If you want to find Basil, he is hiding out. Not hiding out, but he is very well known in the Mustique island and go there, stay at Cotton House or rent a home. Those are really the two options. Right. On Mustique is to either rent a home or stay at Cotton House.
[00:42:03] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:42:04] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:42:04] Speaker A: Yeah, you could come, you could come in by boat, of course.
[00:42:08] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. No, boats.
[00:42:09] Speaker A: Boats.
[00:42:10] Speaker C: That's mainly how I've. How I've traveled actually to Mustique is just sailing around the Caribbean. So if you go down there, make sure to mention to Basil that you heard him on Came here to Love with me. And maybe he'll make you that rum and coke the way that you customize it to your liking. So look for him, get some light and joy in your life when you, when you run into him. And thank you again for being here, for being in my life, for being such a light in the world. I absolutely cherish you as a friend. And, And I just want to thank you.
[00:42:43] Speaker A: Thank you, Liz. Back to me.
[00:42:45] Speaker C: Yeah. Until next time. We'll see you guys. Back on Came Here to Love.
[00:42:50] Speaker B: Thank you for joining us us on Came Here to Love. I hope today's conversation has inspired you to live more fully, align with your soul and spread more love in the world. Remember, love is the highest vibration and when we lead with it, we elevate not just our own lives, but the lives of those around us. If today's episode resonated with you, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, or share it with someone who could use a little more love in their life. And as always, keep tuning in for more heart centered conversations that remind us all why we are here to love. Until next time, keep living your light and loving with your whole heart.
