My whole life I dreamt of being old enough to be adorned in feathers and marching pon road wit de band. Just like my mommy did with Sesame flyers when she was in her 20s. Just like my Dad participated in so many Carnivals in his life. I wasn’t fortunate enough to fully experience my Antiguan culture growing up in the city. I just collected bits and pieces of who I am. I never got to visit Wadadli until this year. My country and my people have embraced me with so much love and acceptance from the moment I first landed. To even make me leader of the band is an extremely high honor for me, I don’t take it lightly. Carnival in Antigua is about the emancipation from British rule. Slavery was abolished here August 1, 1834, 30 years after Haiti - the first liberated black nation, American slaves still weren’t “freed” for another 30 years. Aug 1st was J’ouvert , we woke up at dawn and celebrated all over town just like our ancestors did when they received the good news. Jumping up and rejoicing in our freedom, our culture, dancing to the sound of calypso, our secret language. Today, I march down these roads with SO much pride. I know who I am, I know where my people come from. I know who they are. I know that they watch over me and guide me. Because I am always called home. This was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve ever had in life. I always said the first time I would play Mas HAD to be on an island that I was from. What better than “The BEST carnival in the world”. I love culture SO much, it’s one of the most important things to me being so multicultural. When you learn about your past, nobody can tell you who you are, about yourself. You can walk into the future, knowing what your ancestors expect of you, what they worked for and sacrificed. So I can wear these feathers, so I can shine, so I can fete. So we can come together in LOVE and UNITY. WE REPRESENT WADADLI 🇦🇬🤍 THANK YOU ANTIGUA, YOU OWE ME NOTHINGGGG 🫂