Signal Band

Photo by 95K Studios

Signal Band.......

by J’aime M. La Touche

Anwar ‘Wawa’ Cadette, Sheldon ‘Shelly’ Alfred and Liam ‘L9’ Sebastien

Tell me about Signal Band – its origin, the name, its members, how long the band been together.

Sheldon: Signal Band was formed in 2010 (10 years in existence). The membership comprises of two lead vocalists – Wawa and Shelly, supported by Stasha, two keyboardist (one lead and one rhythm) – Dernel and Darren Green, bass guitarist – Giovani Green and drummer – Akim Hazel. The management consists of road manager - Liam ‘L9’ Sebastien and Manager - Jelani Robinson.

Signal was named by bouyon icon Nigel ‘Nayee’ Jno Baptiste from WCK. We were practicing songs in 2010 and we were just learning songs because we owned no original material yet. At that point we thought we were going to be a soca band because we practiced a lot of ‘pump me up and all aboard’. At the end of summer, in August, we actually got our first gig in Bath Estate at Miah’s Bar and we had no name – imagine that, we had a gig and we had no name. At that point we needed to get a name and through casually hanging out with Nayee at his house and playing video games; while switching the source of the TV it said no signal and it was there Nayee said “Yah! That is the name right there – ‘Signal’.”

How has the band evolved over the years from thinking that you were going to be a soca band and ending up being a bouyon band?

not feel authentic to us since there was no identity in playing people’s music; so along the way a decision had to be made. At the time there was scrutiny with bouyon and the lyrics, so we pretty much had to find ourselves in a place to be a change rather than just run away from the problem and jump on another train. So, we basically just embedded ourselves within the challenge and this is where the evolution came with wanting to fix the lyrics, the musicianship, etc.

What are some of your most memorable moments?

Anwar: I would say last Creole Festival we put on an epic performance by also being able to share the stage with artists like Buju Banton. It was a great stepping stone for us. Also, one of the big things for us is to be able to put on a road show during the Carnival. As a young band, we took the initiative and did not wait for a promoter to tell us that they needed us on the road. We decided that as an entity we could do this because people have been doing it over the years; so we accepted that challenge. Therefore moving forward, we have our own event called ‘Lumination’, which is all about hours and hours of lights, music and energy.

Sheldon: One of the most memorable moments for me which I think radiated towards the rest of the band was that period when I went to study. It was kind of challenging for the band but every time I returned I think it was just a new energy and I remember Carib Fest 2018 – ‘Ani Ba Yo Love’. After the release of Ani Ba Yo Love in December 2017, I came down in June and there was Carib Fest. We practiced but did not have any anticipation for the feedback and crowd response. However, I just remember being backstage when our Music Director Dernel Green just played a sample intro of Ani Ba Yo Love and the screams from the crowd at that point were crazy and I had not yet said one word. This was a deep moment to me as well as a transitional moment for the band – we felt like superstars.

When you guys decided to become Signal Band, what did you envision for the band and how much of this have you accomplished?

Sheldon: As we mentioned, we envisioned being a soca band but I would not even count it as a vision because at that point we were just doing this thing for fun. However, somewhere along the way, about three or four years later was when we began to put our visions in place in terms of being a self-sustainable entity which comes with hosting our own events, our merchandising and basically taking advantage of all the aspects of the music industry because it is a multifaceted industry;

One element of the vision which is taking time is getting the influence of how we envision bouyon music, with the lyricism and the musicianship and getting this to be accepted by other musicians. There will be strength in numbers if we understand that we need to keep up the quality of the music because we cannot do it by ourselves. Therefore once we get that one locked down, we will move forward.

What message do you try to bring across in your music?

Anwar: We try to bring out pure positivity and pure energy in our music. When you write songs you want to be able uplift somebody; take their sad day and make it perfect. We look at situations happening around the world that can affect people and we can try to make it better. One of the things that Shelly said about Ani Ba Yo Love and it being one of our biggest songs; is that even if somebody does you harm or somebody speaks badly against you, you still have to show love to them. The more positive you can be is better. So when you look at our music, it is all positive, good energy – that’s basically it.

How has Covid-19 impacted the band?

Liam: It has greatly affected the band because we depend on peak seasons through performances to gain income and without the ability to hit the stage, it is difficult for some of these earnings to come through. A lot of gigs were cancelled because post Carnival 2020 there would have been the Independence Season, which is a peak season. Also, the plans the band had regarding production were affected because of the current situation. However, what we have done to soften the blow was post Carnival, we had several meetings as a group to decide where we are, where we want to be and how we are going to glide through this period while staying above water because we do not know when we are going to hit the stage.

We continue to have discussions as a group. Especially since we have gigs coming in and then we may hear that have to be cancelled. So, because the situation is not concrete, we continue to have discussions, even one on one with every member indicating that this is the situation, this is where we plan to be but where we plan to be has an asterisk by it. I can say though that all of us in the band are on the same wave length in that we know the position, we know what to expect and we basically have to go with the flow.

World Creole Music Festival is one of the main seasons for the band with a lot of gigs and it was cancelled so we now have to plan on the go, but keep in touch as a group to decide how we are going with the flow.

What are your thoughts on virtual entertainment and your plans towards it?

Sheldon: There are mixed feelings on how we feel about virtual events. Consequentially we accept that it is the best way that we can meet our fans right now, however we do value the in person experience. One thing we will say about the virtual events is that there is a wider reach and if this is the time that we get to reach a wider audience leading to greater interaction when we get back to the in person experience, then we should take advantage of it. We cannot deny that technology is advancing and there are many ways that these virtual events can reach corners of the world that one would never imagine; that physical events may never reach and if the physical events do get there, it is like the remains of it in the form of photographs or small videos clips. However the virtual product removes the borders and the boundaries on the music and on the performances, so this is definitely one of the great things about it. We lack the interaction but we plan to continue doing them if we have to unless there is an alternative. However, our plan moving forward is to hybridize as much as possible in that even if we do physical events, we will still have the virtual component because we understand that we are a growing band and everybody in Dominica knowing us is not our ultimate goal because the world is bigger than just Dominica.

Due to the pandemic, what are some creative ideas you have come up with to ensure the survival of the band?

Sheldon: There were a few things which we had in place even before the pandemic; as I mentioned before about the merchandising and the brand ambassadorships. We are brand ambassadors for KFC and this keeps income into the band – the band’s account. Also the creative members of the band allows us to be able to do advertisements for these companies. These things ensure the survival of the band as an entity and also the individual members. So basically, income streams from brand ambassadorship, merchandizing and music sales; which are like hidden savings because it is not money that we are getting to spend. However, we are spending the monies right now because we are doing music videos; but essentially the music sales and the merchandizing are like a hidden savings.

What future do you envision for the band and by extension, the music industry post Covid?

Liam: The future is uncertain because while we still have to plan where we would like to see ourselves, we still have to be guided by the environment around us and the world. For example, we have many overseas gigs planned and we are not too sure when they are going to come on stream again. It is a situation where the immediate plans for the band are to ensure that we remain on the same wavelength through this pandemic and as soon as ‘outside opens again’ as the saying goes, we will be ready to attack it as aggressively as possible because of how we continue to plan through the pandemic. So the future plan would be us using the pandemic as an educational tool as to how we get out of it because it is very difficult to plan for the future now based on the current situation.

Do you think that when ‘outside opens’ that the gigs will be flowing in and you will be ready since people are longing for that physical experience with the band?

Liam: I think we would be ready for it because the way that we plan and the cohesiveness in the group, is not a situation where just because carnival is coming we start to work; we actually work right through the year. It may not be that we have the finished product but it is a work in progress. We believe that whenever this situation comes, we will be ready and able to attack it because of our planning methods. In fact, I am not sure that all gigs will just be flowing. It may still have to be a little bit of virtual mixed with physical.

So as I said, what is most important for us is the planning and working almost as normal from behind the scenes instead of just preparation for whenever it is safe to go outside.

We are now in the carnival season, do you have any events lined up? Will they be virtual or physical or both?

Liam: Currently we have ‘Lumination Virtual Edition’ lined up and we want to ensure that we stress on the word virtual. Because of how we are as a group we always want to ensure that we do what is required of us and that we stay on the safe side of the law in terms of promoting.

So the event we had lined up from the band, which is Signal Band signature event is Lumination, but because of the circumstances, it could not be in person, nor with large numbers and this was the reason for us planning a virtual event. This event is conditionally approved until the police have said yes you can or no you cannot. It was scheduled for February 13, 2020 from the evening going into Valentine’s Day, bringing with it that feel of a jouvert edition with the glow sticks and the -29-

lights, but it will be virtual. People can purchase their t-shirts to feel they are a part of the event. As I said, it is conditionally approved by the police and we are just awaiting the final approval from them. In the event that it is approved, we will have a very limited number of people allowed at said event.

What would you like to see happen with the entertainment industry in Dominica?

Sheldon: I would like to see us combine our visions. We can do this through the Associations of Music Professionals (AMP). I do not want it to seem like the music world revolves around AMP right now because I still urge entertainers and people who are part of the industry to enhance their business model and take their business seriously individually. However, the benefit of organizations like AMP is that all the arms which make up the industry, makes the industry multifaceted and these arms need to come together. It is like the moving parts of an engine; we all need to move together and understand the contribution that every sector is making to the entire entertainment industry.

What are your thoughts on the cancellation of Carnival?

Sheldon: I think it was actually a great decision in the interest of the health of the people and the uncertainty of which countries people will come from and the ability to screen everybody in the most effective way. However I am kind of disappointed in the absence of a virtual presence of the carnival. I think there was a great opportunity to do this but the cancellation of the physical and in person experience was a good decision.

What advice would you give to upcoming artists/bands?

Sheldon: I would like to encourage them to build their brand. I believe it is the most important thing in entertainment; especially as it is an industry where you basically have no pension. For Social Security purposes, you are self-employed and you are not in receipt of the benefits obtained from working in offices. I think what brand building can do is allow you to capitalize on the popularity you obtain from music by turning that popularity into income through the commercialization of yourself. We see it through people like Rihanna, Machel Montano and others like them who just use their name as branding for products and it sells because at the end of the day they have influence. So, it is about building the brand to the point that because of your influence, people will buy into things which your name carries. Then BOOM you find yourself having a retirement plan through your name.

Any last words that you would like to share?

Sheldon: I would like to ask people to continue supporting bouyon music or all Dominican genre as a matter of fact; continue supporting the musicians genuinely and streaming and buying the music and the merchandise; especially in this time when entertainment is on a low. We have to support the entertainers in their other streams of income because right now it is not about going to a live show but about watching a show online and donating. It is about if some merchandise is on sale (a t-shirt, a mug) you support that, also you stream the music and you buy the music. Now is the time for the fans to put their money where their mouth is and support the artists and the entertainers.