Wadadli Logo
The Original Wadadli Man
The Name and meaning of Wadadli is often misrepresented and confused with a similar word Waladli. Pre-history of the Caribbean indicate that Waladli was the name used by the Amerindians when referring to Antigua. Wadadli is the first and unique name of a company with a branch called Wadadli Experience Band. Established since 1976 in Antigua, Wadadli take pride in our achievements and accomplishments as apart of the first minority ethnic group that emerged post Antigua & Barbuda Independence.
We are the last warrior African-Amerindian descendants who had to endure and overcome similar acts of injustice, oppression, illegal imprisonment, political exploitation and discrimination in (Waladli) Antigua. The warrior in Wadadli represents the spirit of defiance, determination and undeterred will of the group to resist all attempts by those who tried to deny us respect and recognition based on who we are.
The concept and definition of the alpha dread locks Indians derived from the fact that we were the first in a sequence of history making events and actions. The group shattered barriers and set trends that have become and remain popular to this day. Wadadli is the first all Rastafarian band in Antigua, the first Rasta band to play in the hotels, and the first brass band to make an album of all original music.
The Identity, life and history of the Wadadliman are defined and expressed through the experience, struggles, fearless confrontations, unexplained mysteries and death defying adventures of the Wadadli Experience group. It was a strange occurrence that took place on a trip to Barbuda by the band, that led to the inspiration for the song We See Jah and the meaning and definition of Wadadli.
Adventures & Experience Of the Wadadliman
In an attempt to keep a commitment in Barbuda, the group embarked on an adventure by sea in a wooden boat owned and operated by Noel Lashly (Evil Canevil). The boat was no bigger than 18 feet in length and 6 feet in width powered by a seagull engine. It was a history making adventure that very few people would dare to attempt.
It was on a Friday afternoon just after pm when Kumasi made the decision to hire Noel for the job and proceed with the mission to get to Barbuda. With the instruments, personal luggage, fuel and food, eight members of the band along with a Barbuda called Audrick, left Antigua on route to Barbuda. This move was in defiance of Antigua maritime laws which prohibit boats traveling to Barbuda at night.
Kuma wanted no part of the boat trip, so he took the last flight to Barbuda that day. We were determine to reach Barbuda in time to play at the Green door Tavern that night. Oblivious to the dangers and motivated by the enthusiasm of playing, we proceeded confidently. As we watched Antigua disappear from our view, the darkness was rapidly falling upon us. The moment of truth had arrived sooner and much more frightening than we could have imagined.
We found our selves traveling in a seemingly infinite and empty space with nothing in sight but darkness on an endless ocean. The engine stop briefly a couple times, but the last time it stopped, it was not starting. For about 25 minutes we drifted precariously in the darkness while attempting to restart the engine. By time we got it started, we had no fence of directions as to where we were.
At this point, fear and ambiguity began to dampen the enthusiasm felt earlier on the journey. Audrick the Barbuda had promise to help with navigating since it was a trip he made very often. However, in the pitch of darkness neither Audrick nor Evil Caneyville the boat captain, had the slightest clue as to if we were heading east, west, north or south. Kumasi became the target blamed for making the decision to embark on what now seemed like a suicide mission.
Wadadli Mysteries & Unexplained Phenomenon
There was something about Kumasi during that moment that was enigmatic. He was surprisingly calm, and seemed unperturbed by the apparent danger and venting of anger towards him. Inspired by what he did on the band first trip to Barbuda in 1978, Kumasi was adamant that even thought we drifted for a while, we were still heading in the direction of Coco Point Beach on the north coarse of Barbuda.
Mystical & Fearless Kumasi
The first trip the band made to Barbuda was on one of the regular fishing and cargo vessel much bigger than Noel Lashly boat. In order to save time and get back to Antigua for another commitment, the boat anchored about 130 yards from Coco Point Beach and began off loading the instruments onto the small boat (dingy) to transport them to the beach.
Just as they began to offload to the small boat, Kumasi decided he was going to swim into Barbuda. He asked the group "is anyone interested in coming with him?" no body volunteered, so Kumasi jumped of the boat and swam to Barbuda. It was a great personal accomplishment and historical moment for Kumasi. The way to Barbuda and the beach Kumasi landed on that day, became consciously ingrained in his memory since then.
In a show of leadership, fearlessness and courage, Kumasi manage to quietly allay the fears of the group by hinting that he saw something like a light in the distance. The engine held steady as we pressed on ostensibly in the right direction. After six and a half hours of traveling through almost complete darkness, chaos and ambiguity on an empty ocean, we were unknowingly so close that Barbuda appeared like a huge dragon lying in our path.
One thing remained unnoticed in the apparent chaos, fear and apprehension, was the extreme silence of the ocean and complete absence of waves on the journey. Only when the sand and shoreline of Coco Point beach start appearing before us we realized that a mystical and unexplained phenomenon had taking place on the journey. Thankfully We made it to Barbuda that night.
Just as we began to offload the instruments on the beach, the first set of waves started to ripple onto the sand while we removed the boat from the water. The significance of what accrued on the journey did not really sink in at the moment. What was rather obvious and annoying is that we landed on a beach infested with hungry mosquitoes and sand flies. We were hungry too, so we lit a fire and start roasting our ground provisions, while Audrick and Cabu ran to the village to get the tractor man to come transport us from the beach.
Apparently we did not reach Barbuda in time to play on the Friday night. By time Cabu got to the Green door Tavern to notify (Profit) the owner that the band had just arrived, Profit and the few people still lingering at the tavern was shocked and in disbelief. The next day when the news broke that Wadadli came after midnight on Friday, they started to call the group Jesus and his disciples. They said "How come de police them na stap ayou? No man come a babuda a night anless dem a gard."
The Saturday when we went back to the beach to secure the boat, we were in for a surprise. it was only then The significance of what had accrued last night begging to take root. The ocean was angrily crashing powerful and dangerous waves onto the beach and exposing the dangerous rocks and reefs we had unknowingly cross over the night before. The Barbuda people refer to the rocks and reefs surrounding the island as the "Barbuda police and defense force."
In spite of our ignorance, innocence and total defiance OF Antigua maritime laws, Wadadli had accomplished what is still prohibited because of the serious dangers involved. That was the moment that finally defined the group as the Warrior African Descendants Alpha Dread locks Indians.