Luciano - Serious Times | Mikey General - Red, Green & Gold | Communication Drums - Prince Tebah & the Sons of Thunder

Luciano - Serious Times (VP)

"Always love yourself, do the same to someone else, always be true to yourself. Be alive"~ Luciano

Raising consciousness is as natural to Luciano as breathing the sweet morning air. Few artists compare in ability to nurture the inner soul and lovingly touch the most sacred heart space. Yet, the very sound of Luciano's voice or the moment when his eyes meet yours can uplift an aching heart and fill a broken spirit with exuberant joy. If many are called and few are chosen, Jahmessenjah was surely chosen. Luciano tirelessly works for the Father, bringing the light of love and hope to the masses. His new cd, 'Serious Times' is a shrewd analysis of human and global condition. His crucial lyrics are craftfully balanced with a unique blend of musical styles never swaying from Godly guidance and offering a lifeline of faith. In a world where wealth is measured by material riches and established by political and corporate greed, Luciano's musical communion is composed of peaceful sacrament and rises above the shallow pools of weak mentality. To bring forth one's consciousness and receive the cool spiritual balm of guidance is to manifest the Godliness within.Luciano gives us the strength to reveal our own insecurities and establishes the confidence to heal the world through higher livity. Since the passing of Bob Marley, the reggae community has hoped for a musical prophet of royal magnitude. Times are indeed serious and Luciano is our shephard. Give praise to Rastafari and all praises unto Jah~ with maximuim love Sista Irie.

Interview excerpts from Sista Irie and Luciano~

(Photo by Francesca D'Onofrio)

Sis Irie: There seems to be a divine presence that flows through you that reaches out individually to each person  as well as collectively. Do you feel that when you are singing?

Luciano: Definitely yuh know. It has to be real for anyone else to feel. And whenever I pray, I am asking the Almighty to use me. Even the early years of my life, I used to go camping in the Blue Mountain peaks, before I realized my real purpose on earth. I used to ask the Almighty to use me, use me as a vessel,  as an instrument, to glorify him, and to be a living testimony and I know these prayers, whatever we pray, the Bible say whatever we set our hearts on, it will come true. I promised to be true to the Almighty and to my people and I will never cheat or give the people less than they deserve. I say the people need the truth.

Sis Irie: Your spirituality has stirred up some confusion. There seems to be controversy in reggae with Rastafari and religion. What does Rastafari mean to you and do you consider it a religion, or a belief system or how do you incorporate the Christianity and the Rastafari message?

Luciano: OK! If you talk about the chaos in terms of segregation and all that is happening in terms of the vision which is caused by religion, I am saying now, that Rastafari tradition is a livity. And when you have the whole history of slavery, those who were taken into captivity automatically had to find some way of surviving. This is the inherent spirit in every human being. When you are forced against the walls, then you will rise with something the world has never seen before. And this resurgence of spiritual essence and value and worth, and esteem, spiritual esteem could only come as a result of our suffering and pain. As a matter of fact, what we see coming out in the music is no different from what we have learned spiritually, what we have gained in life in terms of experience, academically and whatever, we try to bring out into our music. This message that I find I and I with is really a heritage I find myself basking in because I come and see Rastafarian tradition. This side of the world, in the Western hemisphere where people have been disillusioned all these years, they realize that there is a substance in the old tradition of the Rastafarians that they can cling to and we can associate ourselves with as Africans. The difference with Christianity is that Christianity tells you of Zion as a place, a heaven, where if you aren't careful it will  want to disassociate you from your true roots. And this is what I found missing when I went to church. I used to go to church with my father who was an Adventist, my mother was a Christian. I grew up with the understanding that some day I'll fly away and find this place of rest. As a man who comes to face reality with life, I realize,  we have to fight the struggle, it start right here, now. When we sight up the truth, of the inner powers within every one of us, we have to  realize and  acknowledge our responsibilities in Jah Kingdom. If this earth  wasn't that important, then Jah wouldn't keep sending messengers to  come and remind humanity.

TRACK LISTING

1 GIVE PRAISE
2 COME DOWN FATHER
3 THE WORLD IS TROUBLED
4 STAY AWAY
5 JUST TALK TO GOD
6 SATISFY YOUR SELF
7 LOVE WILL MAKE IT feat. MORGAN HERTIAGE
8 EHCOES OF MY MIND
9 FREE UP THE WEED
10 ALPHA & OMEGA
11 SERIOUS TIMES SERIOUS MEASURES
12 NO WHERE TO GO TO
13 WE NEED A MIRACLE
14 THIS FEELING
15 JAH IS MY KEEPER
16 THE RAS SHE WANT
17 ONLY LOVE

Mikey General - Red, Green & Gold (VP 2004)

Great is the name of the most High God, He will bless you with abundance.
In my calamity when there was no one for me;
Jah was there to give me strength.
When there was no hope, and I could not cope,
He gave me confidence.
Now I know, he lives forever, praises I shall give,
He is my rock and my sustainer, through his grace I live.
He that keepeth Israel never slumber or sleep." (He That Keepeth)

Mikey General is a quiet humble Rastaman walking the walk. His inspiration illuminates a vision spreading far beyond his works as an exceptional singer and lyricist. He is the personification of goodness, magnified through quiet
strength like a shelter in a storm. His new cd 'Red Green & Gold' begins with a crucial accolade of praise. "We need to take time out to pray, to acknowledge the Creator, for this precious gift, the priceless gift of the breath of life."
Mikey simply reveals "somebody told him to deliver this message." Are we listening? Do we feel the pain of broken hearts all over the world, where children suffer brutally from the results of war and strife? Do we recognize terror only when it is on our own front doorsteps? When will we become world citizens responsible for the preservation of life and humanity, creating a new world order based on love and non-violence? This global genocide over power and wealth are front page news, and yet, life ambles on with routine blandness for those whose awareness comes mainly on the ten o'clock news. Mikey General challenges complacency with reality. Abundance is not a neccessity, just the desire and commitment to give a helping hand. Mikey is a living example of his music. Through his work with the Jamaica National Children's Home, he brought hope and love to children whose lives were empty. Mikey is 'the father' that many of the children, some who were institutionalized since infancy, never had. He gives them his presence, his devotion and what resources he can to make life a little easier. "The Word for the Children" is a statement of Mikey's heart fully revealed. Mikey's steadfast dependability and love for humanity is well reflected in his music, his life, and his friendship. To be with Mikey and his best friend Luciano is to be blessed with angels, Zion on earth. Heaven can be your life today, not up in the clouds but in the here and now where heart touches heart. 'Red Gold and Green' is a crucial hymnal of messages giving us the strength to pick ourselves up with strength and confidence and to give us exuberant joy as we approach Zion on the earthly plane.

Photo Courtesy of and copyright by Diane Issachar.

For more information on how to help the children at the Jamaican National Children's Home, please speak with Mikey or email Sista Irie at sisirie@io.com. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rasmikey/
(soon to be moved to consciousparty.com)

TRACK LISTING

1 THE MESSAGE
2 JOY
3 RED,GREEN & GOLD
4 THE WORD FOR THE CHILDREN
5 PRAISE HIS NAME
6 GIVE ME STRENGTH
7 PICK YOURSELF UP feat.DADDY SCREW & BL
8 HE THAT KEEPETH
9 YOU
10 WILLING TO WALK
11 JUST CALL ON ME
12 PICK YOURSELF UP
13 WARNING
14 ZION WE A GO