Mikey General Reasons About the Notion of Divinity

Mikey General is one of the original warriors to lead the campaign in the early 90s to “clean up the dancehall.” He appeared recently on an acoustic tour with his key bredren and stage show partner--Luciano--which brought them to Southern California for the 2004 Ragamuffins’ Bob Marley Festival.

During this festival Jahworks.org attended a press conference that evolved into a rasta revival.

Luciano came to the proceedings with his acoustic guitar in hand and he and Mikey General performed a song from their upcoming set. An original composition with words from Psalm 23, “The Lord is my sheperd…” Taking it to another level, the two spiritual rasta gurus of reggae harmonized as Sly lent a hand (or two) with table top binghi, holding the vibe to the capacity filled meeting room.

"Haile Selassie I sons and daughters, scattered across the waters,” Mikey sang; and the poignant “You better mind what you a do up a di e red white and blue, you can’t say Rasta nevah warn you. Love the red, and gold, that land of old, can’t say you neva been told.”

As I reasoned with Mikey General during the festival weekend, I was joined by bredren Rion who pointed out that Mikey General’s lyrical message emphasizes the spiritual notion of the divine being here on earth. This is something which is often misunderstood in rasta thought.

Mikey General (MG): There are many types of divinity in Ethiopian Orthodox theology because there is divinity by God being the essence of all things and all things existing through that essence. And then there is divinity by participation by one attuned in his will, to the will of God and therefore becomes one with God. It is not the physical that is eternal--it is the spirit that is eternal, so I'n'I glorify the spirit that is within us so we enter that inner closet in ourselves, we go within ourselves when we want to pray. I'n'I as artists and musicians, we haffi go within ourselves and find the truth and bring it out and manifest it, you know?

Christ and Paul talk about the inner man. The inner man is the highest power. Which part of us controls the body? It is the mind and before you even feel hungry, your mind tells you. If you take your mind off of it, then you are no longer in that situation. So it just shows you the power of that spirit that is something divine and so that is what Jah gave us that makes us in the image and likeness of God because God is spirit and that is what makes us in the image and likeness of God--that ability to command I'n'I physical body and tell it what to do. It is not even the physical that is the image, but it is the thought, that thought process of the divine mind. That is the image of God and I'n'I have to have that image. Society has conditioned us to think that the outer is it, but what is the general pursuit of life? The general pursuit is a house, a car, material is the general pursuit of happiness, but when you accumulate all this, are you still happy?

There is sometimes no need for the extravagance. Just be content and be happy with whatever Jah blessings has given you. Some people want to show that they are kings and higher than other people. When you gain the world and lose your soul, what have you gained? Nothing. So I'n'I seek salvation all the time. Try and be a righteous man. Make sure I say try because I don’t think I am a righteous man because I'n'I sin in word, thought, and deed. So even if a negative thought comes in my mind and if I even embrace it for a second or even two seconds, I have sinned. And therefore I am not really that.

We even have a problem sometimes with the concept of God because I'n'I believe in the Ethiopian philosophy of God in that there is God in divine essence and there is God by divine participation and there are different forms of divinity, seen? God in essence is the creator, sustainer of life in which all things exist, the breath, that essence of breath which is spirit, which I'n'I must worship in spirit and truth, but God, in divine participation. It says that one who is divine in essence, is the one who you should be worshipping but divine in veneration, but divine in participation, you should revere, honor and praise him.

When I see that theology, it struck a chord in me. I think that was the whole aim of Christ and His Imperial Majesty and those that have come before us--to show us that we can be divine by participation (he says with great emphasis). That means by attuning our mind to do the will of God. Then we become divine and we become one with God. But really and truly I'n'I should never really see anything physical and worship it. You have men that say dem hail Christ and dem hail Haile Selassie as God but the essence of HIM is His spirit and that is the spirit that touches I'n'I.

It was the spirit of Rastafari, because many of us never saw him so it was an essence and he himself pointed us to that essence and he said who are we to look for answers to the problems of today. HIM say we must look to almighty God who has made us in his image and likeness and will not permit us to destroy humanity. He wouldn’t call himself, to us to look to almighty God if he himself was the essence. Same way, Jesus Christ, the Garden of Gethsemene prayed and he said, "My God, my God, (why have thou forsaken me?)" Who is he calling my God? Who was he praying to? He was praying to the essence. But he was divine by participation, by attuning his will to the almighty.

Just like atavars in India like Sai Baba and all those people that have attuned their will to the will of Jah and because they have attuned their essence to the essence. Then they become one with the essence and they can do powerful things.

I have reached a point now where I realize that my aim and my goal is to manifest God within myself and to show others how they can do it. Jah has blessed me with the artform of music, so I will show the people how to manifest with my words and the songs that I sing and my voice. I will manifest that godliness, as an instrument of him.

Mikey General’s mother Elsie Taylor, became a lawyer prior to which she was a teacher and before that she was a bus conductress when the family lived in London.

The racist climate in England in the 60s caused Mikey's parents to return to Jamaica. Mikey came to Jamaica at age 2 and he and his siblings attended Catholic school. His music career started as he began to sing in the school choir. Mikey passed the common entrance exam and went on to college at a Jesuit school. Most of the people who attend this college become the pillars of society. During this time Mikey General encountered some Rasta people who lived nearby the school and they used to teach him about Rastafari and “love and t'ing.”

He was constantly told that the school he went to was prestigious and he should have been a lawyer or a doctor.

Justine Ketola (JK): What was going on for you back then when you were a student. Your storytelling with songs like “What happened to Miss Taylor's Boy?” tells a lot.

MG: Everyone saw I'n'I when I put on I locks, the people in the community where I grew up, they had a lot of tings to say. Them say "But wait, Miss Taylor bwoy that used to go to high school, what happened to him? Him gwan go turn rasta!" Them say them lose offa me and them disappointed and ray ray. And as the song said, "They could nevah overstand that secret that I found, since I found King Selasssie I. He put me on a higher ground."

This work that I am doing now is a higher work than a lawyer although everybody has there own thing--I am not discrimating. But I think that my work is a very high calling. Because even in hospital, I'n'I go there and spread the music and help them where the doctor probably a try medicine and probably can’t get them up. And we go there with the words of God and them strengthen up and stand up. So that shows us then that we are doing a great work.

JK: What about the new album?

MG: That album, "Red Green and Gold," produced by Mr. Dean Frazer, with VP as the executive producers has been getting a lot of airplay. The message is positive. You know sometimes in life you have to make crucial decisions. This album is one that if you listen to it will help you make those decisions. It is comforting. And these are the influences that you need to make those positive changes in your life. So I am very proud of this work, I am also proud of "Exalt Jah" which was produced by myself and Luciano and released by Stone Tiger and Jeanette Smith. This album now, it shows the different sides of Mikey General, like R&B and acoustic, even a bit of funk. Because it is produced by Mr. Dean Frazer, the singing has to be on peak. He is a very critical man.

JK: Where was it produced and did you have any guests?

MG: It was produced in Kingston and used various musicians. Brother Dean used Sly and Robbie, Firehouse Crew, Mikey Fletcher. There is a collaboration with Daddy Screw and Blessed from Bahamas called “Pick Yourself From Off the Ground.”

JK: What type of activities do you do to improve the lives of Jamaicans?

MG: Well, music is the most important thing that we do. But we try and do a little charity work. We are attached to the Jamaican National Children’s Home where they have a special wing that is for disabled children. Sister Irie has set up a group who support the Children’s Home. So they sent me some money and we got them new kitchen cabinets, a lawn mower, washing machine. We do that kind of work. Somebody sent $500 the other day from Minnesota and so we bought them a new freezer and some new clothes.

Also within the communities we try to be a good example--that is the best thing we can do. When people see us we are always showing love and talking to youths in positive ways and encouraging them not to linger on the corners. We encourage them to go look a food, and support them financially. We ask them what they want to do and we give them a little change so we can strengthen them and better themselves. We try to always show them a positive example. We try to encourage those who we see that have a willing heart. Because you cannot cast pearls before swine. The best thing we can do is to be an example. You could a give them all the money in the world, but you haffi just set an example and hope that they see something positive.

JK: What about your recent tour?

MG: That was with the Lions of Israel (from Arkansas). That was a good tour but this tour is an acoustic tour with Luci. We were at S.O.B’s in New York. That was jammed. We performed for over two hours acoustic. Luci talked about his life and I would sing a one song. We have a percussionist, his name is brother Mark, he is actually the drummer in Luci’s band. It has been going excellent. It is very good, so we give thanks to be able to do that tour. I think the people get to hear the message more in the acoustic set because there are fewer distractions.