Dateline: 30/09/05 Venue: Club Barbi.Tel Aviv. Israel.
We had to catch a flight at 08:35 from Heathrow, so that meant with the 3 hour check in we had to be at the airport by 05:35.
I live south of the river, Aba lives north and the airport is west so Thursday night was one of no sleep, as I had to leave my home at 02:50 to get over to North London to pick up Aba and then drive to the airport.
We checked in at Heathrow and went to get something to eat and have a chat about the forth coming trip.
We have not been back to Israel for 4 years due to the tension in the region, and we had decided due to the peace initiatives that were and had taken place, that now was the time to return.
So this was going to be an interesting trip.

On the shuttle bus taking us to the plane, a man clutching a rucksack sat down next to us. I looked at him and his rucksack very carefully, as bomber packed their bombs in such bags. Out of the blue he asked if we were Aba Shanti, and then proceeded to describe our itinerary in amazing detail, like who was meeting us at the airport and where we would be staying.
Aba and I looked at each other in shock; panic was about to set in.
Here we are about to board a plane for Israel, and a man clutching a rucksack, who we have never seen before has the running order of our trip.
Was this man a terrorist? Was he a stalker? Was he Mossad?
No, none of the above.
He told us he was the brother of Ras Natty Congo who was meeting him at the Tel Aviv airport and Natty Congo was a bredrin of Guil Rasta the promoter.
I breathed a sign of relief and we exchanged pleasantries until the bus stopped alongside the plane.
As Aba and I boarded the plane I thought "What a small world".

After a 5 hour flight we landed at Ben Gurion airport and disembarked. It was now time for the usual song and dance routine with immigration. The Israeli immigration services don't ramp!
As we walked through the long marble corridors to retrieve our bags and then the long walk to the immigration hall, Aba and I realised that this airport had been upgraded to the max dread.

As Aba and I waited in line with all the other foreign passport holders, I knew we were being watched.
From the armed security guards / soldiers / secret security / and the hidden cameras, watcher you could see and the multitude you could not. Couple that with the looks from the other people in their various passport queues, we were attracting a lot of attention.
We looked strange!
A tall menacing looking man with wild hair, dark glasses with an emotionless face alongside a smaller man with long plaited dreads, which were nearly reaching the floor.
When my time came to go to the window and present my documents I was prepared. Passport, work permit, letter of invitation, our music on commercially pressed cd's, flyer for the session, yep the full nine yards.
The immigration officer looked at all the paper work and said, "Which one of you is Aba Shanti"?
I pointed to Aba who was waiting behind the line, and he said in order;
"I will see you at the club. I am coming to this, I know Guil. I too am a dj and I play trance. I play this club nuff time" as he stamped my passport.
Aba breezed through as well. The power of music eh.

We exited from the immigration halls and there to meet us was Guil Rasta and Ras Natty Congo.
After exchanging greetings we asked Guil about the airport, because it certainly was not the same airport we had flown into on the previous occasions. Compared to this, that was literally a cattle shed.
"Yes Rasta I did not tell you about this new airport as I wanted you to experience it and be shocked by it".
Guil explained to me.
"This has been opened about a year now Rasta. Yes Rasta everything about Israel now is about renewal you know, rebirth". Guil continued.
The airport certainly impressed Aba and I.

We went to the car park and loaded our cases into the people carrier and we were off to the hotel.
Driving into Tel Aviv I could see the changes in the skyline, new buildings were everywhere.
Roads and main thoroughfares had been improved beyond recognition. As we drove along the beach road to the hotel it was if we were in Monte Carlo. Sun beating down and beautiful clean sandy beaches with palm trees lining the road and azure blue sea.
Just like the 'Bounty' advert for those that remember it.

Guil pulled up outside this huge hotel and we were warmly greeted by the Ethiopian doorman. We went inside to book in and we were given rooms on the 15th floor.
The view from our rooms was wondrous. You could see for miles.
We said farewell to Guil and arrangements were made that he would come and pick us up at 17:00 so that we could get something to eat before the sound check.

Guil duly arrived at 17:00 and we went off in search of a restaurant.
After our meal it was off to the club for sound check.
We arrived at the club at 19:00 only to find that the two bands that were playing the club before our session had not finished their sound check, and in one case hadn't even started.
We hung around for over one and half hours, Aba chatting to Ras Natty Congo and me just aimlessly wandering around as these bands sound checked. Come 20:30 they had finished and we were then able to start our sound check.

I have to do some explaining now so that you dear readers have an understanding of what a gwan.
The venue was hosting two completely different clubs on the same night.
The first being these two live bands that were playing the venue from 21:00 till 00:00.
At 00:00 the venue closes and the tables and chairs are removed and the place cleaned up so that at 01:00 the venue would reopen, but from 01:00 till 06:00 it would be a roots night featuring Aba Shanti-I in session. No support, just Aba till done.

I was a bit sceptical if this was such a good idea, seeing that 01:00 most people would already be in the club of their choice. But Guil told me and I quote,
"Every ting is cool Rasta. I have been running these sessions here for over two years now and it will be all right. You'll see Rasta".
I bowed to his superior knowledge on the subject.

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