Greetings! welcome to the histort of Wadadli Experience Band. Here, you will find the indisputable facts and information on who formed the band, the original members, how the band got it's name, who coined the word "Wadadli", the changes, and the trials and tribulations encountered at different intervals of the band's history. Below is a list of links to the different sections of the page where you will find the following.
Wadadli Experience Band started in 1973 by Bernard Charles, AKA Kuma, in a little wooden house located in an area called Hatton Estate at the bottom of Gray's Farm, and Green Bay community in Antigua. The name emerged in a discussion between a few members of an aspiring musical group and a respected elder from the Rastafari community in Antigua, called Emdung Bagalaga.
While exploring a set of names to call the band, Bagalaga came up with the name "Waladli". In response, Nekuma and Demanie suggested adding the word "express". It was one of the few suggestions that was seriously been considered However, as we continue to ponder and conjure up other names to call the band, it was again suggested by Bagalaga, "Why not call the band Wadadli Experience?"
When he explained the rational behind naming the band "Wadadli Experience", it was unanimously agreed to and adopted as the name of the group. By removing "lad" from the word WA-LAD-LI and replacing it with "Dad," the word WA-DAD-LI was coined. "The reason for the modification of Waladli was simple," replied Bagalaga, "A Rastaman is not a little boy."
As one of the main architects of the unique words and phrases used by the rastafari community, Bagalaga had his own twist on what the word Lad implies. He asserted that "Lad" (a familiar term of address to a boy) is a word used mostly by people from England when refering to a boy. Bagalaga was a legendary percussionist and pioneer in the development of the Rastafari cultural and linguistic lexicon.
With much regret and sadness, our beloved Bagalaga has departed from the physical life in 2008. However, his works and contribution to the rastafari culture, continue to fuel the dreams and aspirations of some of the musicians from Wadadli Experience Band. His visions and spirit lives on in the Wadadliman. In the words of Father Bagalaga "A Rastaman is a servant of the Lord God Jah Rastafari Selassi I.
^|^The original set of musicians did not retain membership in the band for very long. Calvin (Sugar) the original baseman was the first to leave the band. He comes from a Christian family in the village of Eurlings and was an active member of the Seven Day Adventist Church. Sugar was a very good bassist, but he was young and still under the control of his parents. Eventually, his partial commitment and limited availability for gigs became an impediment to the band.
For a very brief period, William (Willie) Lewis and Junior (Jaga) Martin played bass guitar with the band. William moved on to become part of "The Fabulous Antiguans' Band". Jagger was one of King Short Shirt Music arrangers that helped to form and manage "Short Shirt Ghetto Vibes Band". By 1974, the band had a new bass player named Donald Weston, alias the (Ice Man) from the village of Point.
Just after the arrival of the Iceman, the band was graced with the talent and experience of a versatile all round musician and keyboard player by the name of Denfield. Conveniently for the band, Denfield was living just a few houses behind the band house, in Hotten. His musical experience gained him the respect of the musicians.
Although his time was very brief, his contribution and tutoring led to a better sounding band. The musicians had a clearer understanding of the fundamentals and rudiments of music. By 1975 the band had made great strides in the local music arena. As like most things in life, Wadadli went through several changes, encountered many trials and tribulations, and had some temporary setbacks.
One of the more conscious changes to the band in the mid seventies, was the absence of the so called "bald head" members who formed the original group in 1973. This change was inevitable. As the band struggled to find its identity, ideology, religion and political affiliation began to fracture the unity amongst the original members.
Personal ambitions and mistrust started to divide the original members of the band into fractions. Political affiliation, religious convictions and the apparent difference in lifestyle and philosophy, led to constant arguments and disagreements between the non-dread locks (bald head) and the Rastafarian members of the group.
When the band started, most of the members were dread-locks musicians who had just started to embrace the life-style of the emerging Rastafarian community in Antigua. The internal fighting continued for a while. Once it became apparent that the intent was to establish an all Rasta man band, time and events eventually led to the gradual departure of the non dread locks members from the group. ^|^
In a quest for prominence, the band inadvertently became a victim of its political affiliations. One particular encounter that resulted in what I still consider an "unlawful repossession of the band's instruments," was an incident involving Zachey, a local tailor, Baldwin Spencer and Selvin Walter, the then PLM government representative of the Grays Green Community.
It all started after the band played one night at a restaurant and night club called La Valbone, owned and operated by Selvin Walter. Wadadli did not have top of the line musical equipment when it started. Most of the band instruments was a collection of old used amplifiers and speakers covered with sheep and goat skins.
The band left the instruments at the night club after the gig that night only to return next day and find them stripped of their covering, ripped and shredded to pieces by a pack of dogs owned by Selvin. After doing an assessment of the damage, it was apparent that very little was salvageable from the remains.
Selvin decided to replace the instruments free of cost to the band. In a few weeks the band got a new set of instruments. They included trumpets, trombone, a tenor sax, drum set, two amplifiers and a PA system. There was no signed agreement or contract between both the band and Mr. Walter. The band saw it as nothing more than a replacement of the instruments they lost at La Valbone, which was the right and fair thing to do.
As a gesture of appreciation, the band started playing at the PLM labor queen show and labor day celebration without getting a dime, while other performing artists, bands and musicians were getting paid for their services. Wadadli was so fond of playing with the new equipment that they were called the charity band because of their willingness to play for free.
In 1975, Wadadli Experience was offered a job to play for the ALP-Antiqua Labor Party Labor Queen Show, backing up the supporting cast. They accepted the job and was excited to get the opportunity to play for a big event and get paid. On the second day of rehearsing the artist for the show,Zachey, a local tailor, Baldwin Spencer and Selvin Walter came to the band house and told us that we cannot play for the ALP queen show.
In a show of defiance and independence, an argument ensued and tempers got heated. Selvin was showing sign of reluctance and fear because his seat in Parliament was up for grabs in an national election due in months. However, it was Baldwin and Zachy who encouraged him to seize the instruments, and he did. Powerless in the presence of ostensibly armed and powerful men, they took away Wadadli instruments. It was an unfortunate incident that left the band fractured and dysfunctional for a while.
After the Selvin Walter incident, the band relocated to #3 George Street in Green Bay and rented a three bedroom house for their new base of operations. As the band struggled to rebuild itself from its new location in Green Bay, Victor (Babu) Samuel came onboard as the drummer. It was at that point Kumasi moved from St.John's Street and started living in the band house with Babu.
Conrad Shaw known as (Babs) was a young man who had recently returned from St.Croix with some long hair plat in singles. He began hanging out at the band house with Kumasi and Babu after rehearsal. It was apparent that we wanted to join the band when he stopped combing his hair and started growing dread locks. Babs eventually became the Congas player in the group and was given the name "Cabu."
In addition to playing in Wadadli Experience Band, Kumasi, Babu and Iceman were also active members of Harmonites, Superstars, and Hells Gate Steel Orchestras simultaneously. Their combined musical skills and experience was a great benefit and invaluable contribution to the progress and sound of the band. Babu eventually left the band and moved to the village of Bolans.
The band did not have a keyboard when it first started. When the band finally got a keyboard, it sat in the band house for a while until Denfield joined the band and started playing it. After Denfield left, the band was without a keyboard player for a while until Ira Payne from the village of Clair Hall, started playing with the band.
It was not long after Ira left that another keyboard player name Reggie Lewis from the Villa area, joined the band. Reggie was a good player with experience in classical, blues and jazz music. He was not to fond of playing Calypso. Retention was a problem that manifested itself while playing out at different times.
While living in the band house, Kumasi started to practice the songs that the band was rehearsing secretly on the keyboard. The knowledge and experience he gained from playing steel band music helped to develop his understanding and playing skills. One Sunday evening the band was playing at the Zanzi Bar in Urlings and the keyboard player Ira Payne did not show up for the gig. However, the keyboard was set up on the stage turned on and ready to go.
Driven by the constant disappointment and inconsistency of keyboard players, Kumasi stepped up to the plate. In a sunrise move, Kumasi decided to play the keyboard after returning from the first break. To the amazement and delight of the group, he played every song after the break to the end of the gig. It was the start of a new role and challenge for Kumasi.
After Kumasi switched from playing the guitar to the keyboard, the band was playing without a guitarist for a while until Vesta (Wadhead) from the village of All Saints started to fill in when was not playing with The Saints Brothers Band. Vesta had a special relationship with Kumasi. Apparently, he is the one who taught Kumasi to play the guitar.
Two years after relocating to Green Bay, the band suffered another devastating setback caused by a mysterious fire. This time it was devastating. In a matter of minutes the new band house with all the instruments and personal possessions of Kumasi and Cabu was destroyed. It happened on a Sunday afternoon in the month of April 1975.
Devastated by the fire, Wadadli remained musically inactive for quite a while. However, during that period of silence, more changes and restructuring was taking place behind the scenes. In the interim, the band rented a two bedroom house on #2 George Street owned by Raymond Pell of Green bay, and secured its first bank loan of 2000,00 US dollars from Nova Scotia Bank, with the backing of Lester Bird.
Lester Bird and Vere Bird Junior eventually became the band's legal representatives until they got elected as part of the AlP government in 1976. As our team of legal advisers, they guided and shaped a new and unique corporate identity for Wadadli by restructuring the band into a legally registered music production company. The official company seal was manufactured in Puerto Rico in 1976.
Wadadli was not to be denied. With the help of many, too numerous to mention, the band came back stronger and better. Kumasi became the new chief of Wadadli with Donald Weston the (Iceman) as his deputy. After receiving the Article of Memorandum and official company seal, "Wadadli Experience Enterprise. 1976 Ltd." became the new and official name of the band. It was the beginning of the Wadadli era.
Kumasi was always the main attraction and the most talented musician in the band. The arrival of the Iceman was a blessing in disguise and a very special gift to Wadadli Experience. Iceman is a left handed bassist, pianist, composer, arranger, Calypso artist and percussionist. Their combined talent and musical experience transformed Wadadli into a force to be reckoned with.
1977 saw the arrival of Charlesworth Sebastian (Obadiah) on Guitar, Claudius Henry (Iko) on drums, Connie (Sex) on percussions and Calypso singer Eustace Lawrence (Tiger} to the group. With the addition of new singers and players of instruments, Wadadli started to gradually gain prominence, fame and recognition.