How dare one star

15 years ago, my brother Yahel and I signed a contract with a record company for our album – “Birds”, and a hectic season of rehearsals for our tour began.

In those days the ego swelled and I felt clouds, and when someone wrote in the newspaper that we are the new and Hebrew Pink Floyd – I was completely over myself, about us and about life.

We then did the rehearsals in a rehearsal room in Tel Aviv, a room we especially liked called “The Box”.

It turned out that way and God willing, and Yonatan Yacovi was always with us in rehearsals as the venue’s sound technician.

Very quickly love was born here, and I noticed that Jonathan has a huge talent in all worlds of sound and music.

When we closed our first big show at the “Heineken Bhima” (a rock club that was located in the basement of the Bhima Theater) – I asked Yonatan if he does sound for live performances as well, and not just for rehearsals. Jonathan answered me immediately confidently: “Of course I do! What are you stealing?! What is this question?! Obviously!!!”

And I remember in my head the picture in which Yonatan is carrying his cart of amplification equipment like this in the Bhima Square, and we are so excited for this performance.

We did some big shows there, and I, I then would blame the whole world for my pain. Ronnie Superstar exploded in those days, and on stage I would say then that it’s a shame that we don’t look like Ronnie Superstar and that our songs aren’t listened to anymore. Jonathan took me aside for a backstage conversation and told me: “You have to stop saying these things. You’re ruining my show, man!’

I looked into his eyes, and it seems to me that since then he freed me from being a victim in my life.

We had another long tour, and at the end of it me and Hiel started working on the second album and Jonathan went to work in big studios in New York.

We hadn’t met in years, except for that time when we happened to run into each other at Cafe Dalal in Neve Tzedek, where I would sometimes stop to write.

One of the insights of the corona is that the one I love in my life – I have to keep close. See my friends more, hang out more, talk more, create more.

And that’s how we found ourselves together again, sitting on a brick with za’atar and an ocean of olive oil, and cups of coffee in a special and magical cafe in Jaffa.

Jonathan and Jonathan. After almost twenty years.

After the second cup of coffee, I knew that the continuation of the work on the new album I am doing with my students – “Children of the Moon”, I will do with Yonatan in his studio, at Jaffa Studios, an ancient Crusader building in Jaffa.

Jonathan has a rare talent. It’s the truth. One for Millard the guy.

In the last recordings, when we recorded Sofia singing Aviv Gefen’s “Salt of Tears”, we ordered kebabs at Walt, and when we sat down to eat in the studio kitchen, Yonatan looked at me, through the mountains of kebabs, and said he had to tell me something.

“Do you remember then, 15 years ago, when you asked me if I knew how to do sound for concerts, in preparation for Yahel’s and yours’ concert at the Bhima, and I answered you, ‘Sure!’ “Obviously!” he asked.

“Yes, of course I remember! You did amazing!’ I replied.

“so that’s it. Time to reveal to you that I just said it! I have never done sound for concerts before! And I was so afraid that you would outdo me and that it wouldn’t turn out well! But I said come on – I jump into the water and do it! On life and death!’

We laughed for hours on the studio floor.

And look, Yonatan has already managed over the years to be the house technician in Shalom Hanoch’s house…