Reasoning with Mikey General

Born to Jamaican parents in London in 1963, Mikey General was on the fast track to academic success. He attended St. George’s, a prestigious Catholic high school in Jamaica, where everyone expected him to become a doctor, banker or lawyer. But instead he turned to music.

In the early 80s, General returned to England and began singing with sound systems like Saxon. He ended up working for Fashion, the dub plate studio, for almost four years, where they specialized in “sound boy, sound clash tunes.” General was discouraged with his career in England and he says it was the will of Jah that took him back to Jamaica in 1992. He soon met his close brethren, Luciano, and became a devout disciple of Rastafari, “Brother Luci’s a soulmate of I’n’I and this work is something that we have devoted our lives to,” he told me last year.

General’s first album, “Rastaman Stronger,” was released in 1996 on the Xterminator label, showcasing General’s conscious and uplifting lyrics. Produced by Phillip “Fattis” Burrell, “Rastaman Stronger,” featured Sly and Robbie, saxophonist Dean Fraser and guitarist Cat Coore. But General’s international exposure came through touring with Luciano and the Firehouse Crew.

“Spiritual Revolution” is the fitting title of his latest album, which is released on his and Luciano’s own label, Qabalah. They have created a community of people who try to live what they preachÛspreading Jah’s message is the ultimate goal and the music is the medium. General’s high tenor voice has been compared to Tabby Diamond of the Mighty Diamonds, and he has been influenced by various genres of music: blues, R&B, Reggae, Jazz, gospel, hip-hop and dancehall.

I first met General in March of 1999 during the California leg of the Luciano tour. Since then, I’ve seen him perform numerous times and his face always lights up when he sees someone he recognizes. He’s a spiritual man, who will reason about almost anything from the Bible to women’s roles in society. I caught up with him again at the Bob Marley Celebration in Long Beach, CA in February 2000 where he discussed his latest travels, his newest CD, and the differences of beliefs in the Rasta community.

Laura Gardner: I’m so happy to see you again. What have you been up to during the past year?

Mikey General: Blessed love. Empress Laura, it’s a pleasure to be speaking to you again. Well, we’ve been to Africa, to England and to Cuba. So we’ve been traveling and doing Jah works. I also had a new CD released in December in Jamaica, and it’s soon to be released in America. We are also releasing some songs off that same LP with Luciano in a combination CD. So, yes a lot of new things are happening!

LG: Let’s start with Africa. Had you been there before?

Mikey: Yes, I had been to Senegal with Luciano and Sizzla before. This second time was a beautiful experience. We went to Gambia and we met the President! Gambia is really a Reggae-oriented country. Everywhere you go, you hear Reggae on the streets, just like in Jamaica.

LG: I didn’t know that.

Mikey: Luciano is very big over there, so we went over there. We did a lot of promotion.

LG: Were there elements that struck you there that you hadn’t noticed before?

Mikey: The people who are MuslimÛthe sincerity to their religion struck me, since I hadn’t really seen that sincerity by so large a group of people in the West. I knew that religion was deep-seated in Africa as part of the tradition and it made me more connected with myself and know that I too must grip onto my faith, like how they have gripped onto their faith.

The people, bwai! They’re nice loving people! Gambia is the most peaceful country in Africa. It’s surrounded by Senegal so they speak a language called Wolof. Because it was a former English colony, they speak English too. Seeing the different tribes of people and how they are so much like I’n’I was a joy really.

LG: And then you went to Cuba…

Mikey: Wow! Well, Cuba is a beautiful experience. We went to Havana. Luciano was doing some recording. He was recording a Bob Marley song over a Latin riddim. So he was working with some Cuban musicians: Cubanismo. He was working with a brother named J»sus.

LG: J»sus Alemany.

Mikey: Yes, he was the trumpeter and the bandleader too.

LG: When does that get released?

Mikey: Well, I don’t know, but it’s going to be beautiful. Luciano sang perfectly. The Cuban people are loving people. There is some poverty but they have love. It’s a peaceful country. The people are disciplined. They still line up to join the bus and all that!

LG: With American tourists coming now, did you notice the difference between Cubans who had access to dollars and those who didn’t?

Mikey: Yes it’s very apparent because they have “dollar stores” over there where you can’t spend Cuban money. You’ll find that there are long lines outside. There are also restaurants where they sell their food for US money. So, really and truly, there is extreme poverty there, but the peace and the discipline of the people is exceptional. Some things are not right but some things are very good. There are police on every corner so it gives that impression of being a police state…

It’s cheaper in Cuba. You take out 10 dollars and you buy food. I tell you, you can’t carry the amount of food you can buy with 10 US dollars! Local foods like vegetables and yam. It’s very cheap.

LG: So after Cuba, your album was released.

Mikey:Yes, my album was released in December, produced by me and Luciano with some tracks produced by Firehouse Crew, some by Dean Fraser and some by Soljie [Hamilton]. It’s been well received so far around the world. Give thanks to Jah for that because Jah has been very instrumental in this album. He’s instrumental in all that I do, but especially this album. It was He that gave me the vision and the thought to do it. And to do it on our own label.

LG: Tell me a little bit about the flavor of the album.

Mikey: The album is called “Spiritual Revolution,” so you know the flavor already. It’s about a oneness, it’s about love, about the need to get together as a people, as humanity, as children of the Most High to come deeper within ourselves to “appreci-love” each other because if we don’t have this spiritual revolution, we’re going to have a physical one. And the physical one is always bloody, so we want a spiritual one that’s peaceful. So that’s the whole theme of peace, love and prosperity.

LG: Indeed. Currently, dancehall music is very popular with conscious dancehall artists like Anthony B, Capleton and Sizzla… How are they different from what you’re doing or is it all the same?

Mikey: Well, it’s the same really. It’s just that we are singers and they are deejays. Probably some of the things they are doing, we’re not in total agreement, [pause] like the burning of fire. I’n’I don’t believe I’n’I should be judging anyone because, who am I to judge? Am I not a sinner also? I’m not perfect. So it’s he who’s perfect who should be judging. They are burning themselves also in that when they are burning they are really trying to purge. If they’re purging themselves too, then I can understand. But some of them are casting judgement and not purging their own self. That can’t be right.

We have some agreements. We love Haile Selassie and what he stands for and we know they love Haile Selassie too. But it seems like sometimes some people don’t read about what Haile Selassie says concerning even the Bible, because you have some Bobos that burn the Bible. But I’n’I know that Haile Selassie say, “In the Bible we will find truth for ourselves.” I think it is advisable to follow the words of the King if we are praising him. So that’s the only difference I’n’I have with them. It’s the same message.

LG: Are there any last words you have for the massive?

Mikey: Well, we never say last words. But I would like to say love and respect to all the brothers and sisters in San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and all over California. You know His Majesty said that his favorite part of America was California. So we know that if His Majesty said that, we don’t have to say anymore.