Dateline: 25/08/03 Venue: Nottinghill Carnival 2003

We arrived early, as since last year if you are not on site by 0900 it is a devil of a job to get through the police cordons and we were up and playing from 1115.The people had started arriving by 1130 and by 1330-1400 the place was rocking.

I took pictures of the crowd as it built up and in reviewing the pictures later saw just how many people were present.
With so many people all in one place and no worries. Pure niceness and vibes.
Harmony in the music and a harmonious crowd.

The police came and forced us to stop on time at 1800 because they were worried about the size of the crowd.

I just have to relay one story from the day to you among many;

One Aba Shanti-Ite came to the record stall at 1830 as we were packing up having spent the last 6 hours trying to get from Nottinghill Gate station to where we were playing on foot.

It transpires that the police had blocked the direct route down Portobella Road so he had to walk around the perimeter of the carnival area to get to us (which is a walk of around 8-10 miles through very very packed streets) and when he got to us,Aba had finished.

Moral of this tale..................COME EARLY!!!!!

The vibe in our corner was as usual serene and many regulars were present ; Tim & Hedi, Rockas, Jimmy, Martine,Chaim and new baby Tovy as well as their friends.....Zak and others, Steppas, Benji, Kris, Shandi-I, Julien & Cru from Marseille, Nick (The Lion Cub's friend), Sheila, Sista Millie and Cru, Little Andy & Ras Charles,Colin, Ras Iyah, Ras Natural, Dutch Cru, French Cru, Ital-ian Cru. Pierre from Switzerland, Japanese Cru, Leicester Cru, Southend Cru, Bedford Cru, Bredrins whoses faces I recognise but don't know their names;

Raspects to you all.

Aba in Leicester always has a special vibe and this year was no exception.

I arrived at the park at 10:40 in the morning expecting to see Aba's truck parked up and the sound being unloaded, considering that Aba had travelled up the night before and was staying with barba who lives just across the road from the park. To cut a long story short, Aba did not arrive until 13:30 and Aba, Samari, Babbs, Barba and myself unloaded and set up the sound in just over an hour. Which considering the sound was set up on grass is no more mean feat.

Even before the sound was set up the people started arriving and sitting down on the grass awaiting the music. Claiming their spot for the session.

Music was rolling in earnest from 14:45 and for the next 5 and a half hours the ground trembled to the sound of Aba Shanti-I. The police came and asked us to stop because they wanted to clear the park and the crowd we had were not leaving until Aba stopped playing, such was the vibe.

The main carnival had finished at 19:00 but our spot was still rocking.

The sun shone brighty and the bass rained down heavily and the Leicester-Ites were in full meditation groove. Wicked day,wicked people, wicked vibe!

Just a little story from the day;An asian man and his son aged about 7 came over to the stall earlier in the day and asked how much the live session cd's were? I told him the price and he asked at what time would I pack up.I told him that I would be there at the very end as we were part of the sound.

The time is 21:30 and we are packing the sound back in the truck and Markus (Major Hotlips) came over to me and asked if I had any cd's left as a man wanted one. Imagine my surprise when the same asian gentleman and his son came into view.

The stall had been packed away and all the cd's and bits were in my car which was now parked outside of the park on 'London Road'. I told him it was too late to get a session cd now as it was all packed away.

He pleaded with me to purchase one as he said that he and his son had left the park and gone home and his son kept nagging at him for a session cd, so he came back just to get one. So as we walked to my car I asked him what session cd he wanted and that is when I realised that he had no idea who Aba Shanti-I was and the fact that we play all over the world. Quote:"You have played in Japan and do the Japanese people like it"?

Anyway I sold him a couple of session cd's and he and his son went home happy.

The vibe touches us all both young and old, regardless of race,creed or colour.

Raspects to:The cafe owner Paul, Babbs, Barba, Leroy, Errol, Terry Gadd, Markus, Samari, Benji (original Steppa), Richard who wanted and got an autographed cd and to all the Leicester-Ites and travelling crews, One Love.

I arrived early as usual and who should I buck up pan but Boogie, our old bass player standing by the mixing console. We exchanged pleasantries and he left to go to the Millenium Dome to drop off Gregory Issacs sound engineer vowing to return to see the Shanti-Ites in action. He never did return.

Sister Milly's sister, had set up a folding chair in prime position in front of the stage to get the best view and sound of the bands performing and it was still 2 hours to show time. Hardcore rocker.

The rest of the band arrived at 15:30 and who should be with them but Michael our old guitarist. Today was a day for seeing people I had not seen for ages. After checking backstage with the promoter I went for a walk among the crowd that was now massing.

I met up with Twinkle (Norman Grant), Colin (who I had not seen for over 15 years), June and her mum, Peggy and her now grown up kids, Sipple and his son, Gary, Constances, nuff, nuff people from back in the day.

The band put on a very good show as did all the performers on the bill and thanks go out to Lambeth Council for the day. As they say in this business "Every Ting Nice".

One Love.

Another day,another gig and the trials and tribulations that it brings.
But on this occassion it was not us that had the problem, but Iration Steppas.

The lioness and I arrived at 21:30 and already setup in the hall were Channal One and Aba; and apart from the tables setup for Iration and some of his crew, no Mark and no sound.

I was told that Mark's truck had broken down on the motorway with major problems and he had phoned the promoter, Raymond Judah to inform him of such at 19:00.
The session got underway on time with just Aba and Channal One.

Mark and his sound turned up at 23:20, after having to transfer his sound from one truck to another on the layby of the busiest motorway in the UK. This is easier said than done.
Anyway Iration had his sound in the hall and up and running in 40 minutes! I would like to reiterate what Mark said when he signed on to play, Maximum Raspect to his crew for the way they loaded in the sound and strung up with little fuss or disruption and maximum speed.
Any Formula One racing team would have been proud to have a crew operate like that; strictly professional business!

The fastest I have ever seen a sound load in and be up and playing before this, was Earl and the Freedom Massive crew from Manchester.

The dance was another classic session. All sounds played some nice tunes that got me dropping one and two moves as the music took control. Again the patrons made it such a special vibe and before I knew it the sun was shining bright outside and the dance was done.Time really does fly when you are enjoying yourself.

Raspects to Iration Crew, Channal One Crew, Prince Malachi, Ras Iyah, Ras Natural & Bredrins, Blakamix, Andrew, Christian (congrats on your recent wedding) & friend from South Africa, Sweet T, Peter (tall), Peter (small), Ras Charles & Bredrins from Wales, Sophie, Sister Millie, Robert Tribulation, Little Andy, King Charles, Jackie, The Travelling European Cru's, Japanese Cru and to all the patrons in the place, see you all again right back at the Brixton Rec on the 19th Sept 2003.

One Love

Aba, Samari and myself travelled to Poitiers to do the show and due to the industrial action taking place in France, Steflion who was also on the bill could not make it.

We left from Stansted and flew a budget airline as they were the only airline that flew to Poitiers.
Taking off from Stansted was not a problem, it was the landing at Poitiers that freaked me out.

When the plane, a jet mind you, circled the airport as it prepared to land and I saw the landing strip, I thought this is going to be interesting. I have travelled all over the world and I have seen some small runways but nothing as small as Poitiers's. This runway was only for small propeller planes and very light aircraft in my opinion; like the type that use London City Airport, Docklands.

This was borne out as the plane touched down. The pilot applied full reverse thrust and maximum brakes.The plane shook and skewed as it went down the runway and things started coming out of the overhead lockers and the small children on the plane started crying. It was like a scene from 'Airplane' but this was not funny!

Anyway we eventually came to a stop and the stampede to get out of the plane showed me that I was not the only passenger concerned about the landing. Hmmmmmmm!

We were met by Sebastion and ourselves and another Dj that was playing the festival were ferried to the venue.

We had not played the 'Confort Moderne' in 2 years and in that time it has changed from a traditional venue into a cultural centre. There were all kind of things going on. Big up to the 'AAA Corp' posse and their Eco friendly fuel extraction process. They were extracting oil from Rapseed and using it to fuel the generators which were providing power to the festival and to all manner of activities. One of which was a radio station 106.6 FM.

We had a wicked gig and thanks to the sound man Fredrick, the vibe was crucial.

Aba did a slot on Radio 106.6 FM before we left the following day.

Thanks to Simon the director of Confort Moderne, Sebastion, Dj Mat from London, Simon and the AAA Corp Crew, Fredrick the sound man, Phillipe longtime bredrin and to all that made it such a pleasant experience.

One Love.

After a terrible journey from London to Manchester, due to a traffic jam from junctions 6-13 on the M6 we arrived at 1730, after leaving London at midday.
Anyway the band set up and went through their sound check and tings were cool.

Aba played a little set before the band, just to set the vibe.

The band took the stage at 23:30 and tore up the place.The sound coming from the stage was awesome (big raspect to the house pa man).

I watched as many many people that I knew, Paul, Earl & Professor, Sister Aisha, Ras Iyah, Ras Natural, Choppa, Zebulan, Blackskin, to name but a few; with smiles on their faces and not only nodding their heads, but dancing!

The band was on fire, me ah tell you dread. From the opening signature tune 'We Are The Shanti-Ites' to the last chord of the last song, they were chopping.
The people in the place gave them a great ovation and demanded and got, an encore.
Perilous times in Manchester.

When the band came off stage, Blood asked me how I thought the show went and I remarked "It was alright". Blood was not amused by this comment. But you see people if you give too much praise one can become complacent and think that they don't need to try any harder. No matter how good you are you, can always strive to do better.

Aba then continued with the vibe till it done.

I have to make a big up here to one of the Shanti-Ites, Horace. You see Horace broke his leg the day before the gig at Band On The Wall, but still turned up to do the gig even though he was in some serious pain. So people all together now "Big Up Horace, The Shanti-Ite's Soldier"!

One Love

This is also the new venue for the Blood Shanti & The Shanti-Ites show next Saturday 31st May '03.

Still the people that made the extra jaunt to Aberystwyth were in good spirits and the vibe was nice.As the promoter Ras Charles told me as we were reasoning "Aba is playing man, Jah people will come' and he was right.

This was the first Brixton session held on a Saturday. It was also the night when Jah Shaka was going to play 'The Rocket'; his first dance since his accident. So it was going to be an interesting night.

We knew that most of the hard core Roots fans were going to check out Shaka. If we were not playing we too would have gone to listen to Shaka.

But no need to worry or fret, Brixton Rec was pumping.

I watched as the hall filled up with people, a whole cross section of Jah's creation and me not recognising most of them.
But they had come to rock and rock they did.
The vibe was so good for the first time ever, I saw Raymond Judah skanking around the dance floor with a big smile on his face. I have seen him with a smile, but never dancing!

Bredda Neil and the King Shiloh crew did themselves proud. They played some tuff tunes with a real vibe to them, as well as a rock solid B-line.

The Luciano special they played was a very good tune, a very good tune indeed!

The vibe generated by Aba was magnified by King Shiloh and then in turn by Jah Youth, who shook up the place with his selection. Wicked Youth!

I had waited a long time to hear King Shiloh in full effect alongside sounds that he has cited as inspirational to him, and the crowd and I were not disappointed.

Raspect to Jah Youth, King Shiloh and Aba Shanti-I for the music, but an even bigger Raspect! to the people in the place for the vibes. Our cup and the dancehall runneth over. One Love.

Aba Shanti -I will be in Belgium on the 1st June 2003 at the 'VK Club' Brussels supporting 'The Ras-Ites'.

PLUS DO FORGET THE NEXT BRIXTON REC IS ON 'INTERNATIONAL CANNABIS DAY' SATURDAY 3rd MAY 2003. NOT THE USUAL FRIDAY SESSION.

One Love The Humble Lion

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