Tragedy Trials And Triulations
The rebirth of Wadadli was almost complete, and the band was making progress until a mysterious fire destroyed the new band house on No.3 George Street on a Sunday afternoon.
There were rumors in the community about who started the fire, but it was all speculations. Wadadli was devastated by the fire, and they knew the task of rebuilding the band wouldn't be an easy undertaking.
About a week after the fire, Robin Baucus, a supporter of the ALP set up a fund-raising account at Antigua Commercial Bank that collected financial contribution from Wadadli fans, friends, and local business places in Antigua.
Before long, funds started to accumulate, and the task of rebuilding the band had begun. The first order of things was to find a band house. Nekuma was popular and well known in green bay, so it wasn't long before he managed to rent another band house on No.2 George Street.
Kumasi, Kwesi, and Nekuma use to go around to different business places in St. John's almost every day seeking assistance, and one day they stopped by a store owned by Mr. James Holbrough, and after a brief conversation in the store, they got more than they expected.
To their surprise, Mr. Holbrough offered to secure a loan and buy a new set of equipment for the band on the conditions he managed the group until the loan is paid off, It was an offer wadadli could not refuse.
By the beginning of 1977, Wadadli got a new set of equipment and welcomed Charlesworth Sebastian (Obadiah) on Guitar and vocals, Claudius Henry (Iko) on drums, and Calypso singer Tiger, to the group.
Reinforced with new singers and players of instruments, Mr. Holbrough starts arranging auditions at the different hotels, and before you know it, the band had a contract for six months playing twice a week at Hotel Antigua in Coolidge.
Mr. Holborough was a meticulous businessman that took his responsibilities seriously and never spend a fruitless penny. He was so strict and stingy with money that the musicians use to call him heartless because they couldn't get a dollar from him until payday, and payday was at the end of every month.
Mr. Holborough was a robust manager, he never flinched, but he was a blessing in disguise to the band. He lived up to his word and made sure the loan was paid off and never took or asked for a penny from the group, he was an extremely rare and honest broker that's hard to find these days.
By the end of 1978, Wadadli was playing almost four nights per week at various hotels, nightclubs, and restaurants in Antigua, and they continued using the business model and protocols established by Mr. Holboruogh with one change, the musicians got paid weekly instead because the band was fully employed.
Playing in the hotels was a great learning experience for Wadadli apparently, It gave them a chance to explore and play different types of music, meet and mingle with celebrities, government officials, and foreign dignitaries from different parts of the world.
The band eventually earned the recognition and respected it deserved and created a strong and diverse fan base in the process. By the end of 1979, Wadadli recorded their first album "Came From Afar" at Debs recording studio in Guadeloupe.