Mika in US & Canadian Press - 2013/2014

Wow!!

And just because it's been six years since I've seen anything about Mika in my hometown newspaper:

 

 

That's a special thrill.

SO, is that The Washington Post or another paper?

Need to run out and get a copy if I can.

That's a special thrill.

 

SO, is that The Washington Post or another paper?

Need to run out and get a copy if I can.

That's the Washington Post, in the Weekend section

Since when did he go to boarding school?

Since when did he go to boarding school?

The Westminster School does have students who board, just not all of them do.

That's the Washington Post, in the Weekend section

Thanx Deb. I waited 'til quite late to go searching for it. All of the places in my area that you would expect to have it were out. Started canvasing local merchants on the chance they had a personal copy around. No luck until I returned home and obtained a copy from my across-the-street neighbor. Tah Dah

The Westminster School does have students who board, just not all of them do.

They are really implying that HE was boarding although it was probably based on their own research on the school and not something Mika said. I can't imagine anyone who lives in Central London is going to board their kids at this school like you might live at a university residence in the same town as your parents. But maybe they think this is what rich snobby Brits who aren't interested in raising their own children do.

Found on twitter a new Mika's interview:

 

Leila C. ‏@Leila8775 2h

 

Interview de @mikasounds chez Radio Canada ici (à partir de 33:00) http://t.co/StYyO1lPES!

http://www.mediafire.com/?l4ym597r9ipa9k4

Could someone give a summary, please?

http://www.mediafire.com/?l4ym597r9ipa9k4

 

Could someone give a summary, please?

Thank you!!

A few words about this interview (and sorry for my mistakes!)

He talked about Fanny ardant as an icon of the french cinema and how much he likes her work. He said he met her for the first time at a diner and at the end he was obsessed by her, and he created the clip with her in his head.

Then he talked about the third album and the interviewer said this one is more mature than the other ones but music is still dance. He talked about the concept of creating 14 songs about love and using this concept which is "unhip" by turning it into something funny and dark. He wanted to find a balance and to avoid something too much "candy". The interviewer said, he mixes ashes and light

Concerning the album and the tour, he said the album is very produced, arranged, contrary to this tour which is intimate. During the festivals he's planning to do a big show so he wanted to do the opposite of this kind of shows and of the album. Why not being alone with a piano, and showing that his songs can be communicated simply with a piano and 2 musicians and it works.

Then they listend to an exctract of EMD/Emily (he said he's ashamed ) in Los angeles and he talked about the fact that americans scream the lyrics in french without understanding anything. This show was crazy and magic and when he was on the piano and with 1000 people in front of him jumping and dancing, it reminded him why he's doing what he's doing.

He talked about the old songs, that he doesn't want to skip them stage, he doesn't like the concept of singing only one album. As each album is part of a period of his life, he wants to mix them all and sing songs in french.

Even in Las Vegas he can sing songs in French. And about EMD the interviewer said that it's still the french version which has the most success, he said yes and that when he sings EMD in both french and english he makes a lot of mistakes and one day he stopped singing during 5 minutes because he forgot the lyrics.

These new shows in the US are so concentrated, he can't hide behind a production, everything must come from his sincerity and his body gestural. If he wants to make dance the audience, he has to dance himself.

Then she wished him a great show but he responded that she could not tell him this, and that she knows what she has to say so he asked if we could tell this word ("Merde") on the canadian radio She told him "we all understood"

At the end he talked about the tickets that he has hidden himself in Montreal and that he was going to tweet some clues to find them. She told him she loves how he always uses a playful dimension

A few words about this interview (and sorry for my mistakes!)

 

He talked about Fanny ardant as an icon of the french cinema and how much he likes her work. He said he met her for the first time at a diner and at the end he was obsessed by her, and he created the clip with her in his head.

Then he talked about the third album and the interviewer said this one is more mature than the other ones but music is still dance. He talked about the concept of creating 14 songs about love and using this concept which is "square" by turning it into something funny and dark. He wanted to find a balance and to avoid something too much "candy". The interviewer said, he mixes ashes and light

 

Concerning the album and the tour, he said the album is very produced, arranged, contrary to this tour which is intimate. During the festivals he's planning to do a big show so he wanted to do the opposite of this kind of shows and of the album. Why not being alone with a piano, and showing that his songs can be communicated simply with a piano and 2 musicians and it works.

 

Then they listend to an exctract of EMD/Emily (he said he's ashamed ) in Los angeles and he talked about the fact that americans scream the lyrics in french without understanding anything. This show was crazy and magic and when he was on the piano and with 1000 people in front of him jumping and dancing, it reminded him why he's doing what he's doing.

 

He talked about the old songs, that he doesn't want to forget to skip them stage, he doesn't like the concept of singing only one album. As each album is part of a period of his life, he wants to mix them all and sing songs in french.

Even in Las Vegas he can sing songs in French. And about EMD the interviewer said that it's still the french version which has the most success, he said yes and that when he sings EMD in both french and english he makes a lot of mistakes and one day he stopped singing during 5 minutes because he forgot the lyrics.

 

These new shows in the US are so concentrated, he can't hide behind a production, everything must come from his sincerity and his body gestural. If he wants to make dance the audience, he has to dance himself.

 

Then she wished him a great show but he responded that she could not tell him this, he wanted to say "Merde" and asked if we could tell it on the canadian radio She told him "we all understood"

 

At the end he talked about the tickets that he has hidden himself in Montreal and that he was going to tweet some clues to find them. She told him she loves how he always uses a playful dimension

Much obliged.

thank you very much girls!

Found on twitter a new Mika's interview:

 

Leila C. ‏@Leila8775 2h

 

Interview de @mikasounds chez Radio Canada ici (à partir de 33:00) http://t.co/StYyO1lPES!

http://www.mediafire.com/?l4ym597r9ipa9k4

 

Could someone give a summary, please?

A few words about this interview (and sorry for my mistakes!)

 

He talked about Fanny ardant as an icon of the french cinema and how much he likes her work. He said he met her for the first time at a diner and at the end he was obsessed by her, and he created the clip with her in his head.

Then he talked about the third album and the interviewer said this one is more mature than the other ones but music is still dance. He talked about the concept of creating 14 songs about love and using this concept which is "unhip" by turning it into something funny and dark. He wanted to find a balance and to avoid something too much "candy". The interviewer said, he mixes ashes and light

 

Concerning the album and the tour, he said the album is very produced, arranged, contrary to this tour which is intimate. During the festivals he's planning to do a big show so he wanted to do the opposite of this kind of shows and of the album. Why not being alone with a piano, and showing that his songs can be communicated simply with a piano and 2 musicians and it works.

 

Then they listend to an exctract of EMD/Emily (he said he's ashamed ) in Los angeles and he talked about the fact that americans scream the lyrics in french without understanding anything. This show was crazy and magic and when he was on the piano and with 1000 people in front of him jumping and dancing, it reminded him why he's doing what he's doing.

 

He talked about the old songs, that he doesn't want to skip them stage, he doesn't like the concept of singing only one album. As each album is part of a period of his life, he wants to mix them all and sing songs in french.

Even in Las Vegas he can sing songs in French. And about EMD the interviewer said that it's still the french version which has the most success, he said yes and that when he sings EMD in both french and english he makes a lot of mistakes and one day he stopped singing during 5 minutes because he forgot the lyrics.

 

These new shows in the US are so concentrated, he can't hide behind a production, everything must come from his sincerity and his body gestural. If he wants to make dance the audience, he has to dance himself.

 

Then she wished him a great show but he responded that she could not tell him this, and that she knows what she has to say so he asked if we could tell this word ("Merde") on the canadian radio She told him "we all understood"

 

At the end he talked about the tickets that he has hidden himself in Montreal and that he was going to tweet some clues to find them. She told him she loves how he always uses a playful dimension

Lovely interview, really enjoyed listening to it! Thanks for letting us know about it Leila!

MIKA en formule intime à Montréal : http://www.sorstu.ca/critique-mika-en-formule-intime-a-montreal/

http://labibleurbaine.com/wp/mika-au-theatre-corona-virgin-mobile-de-montreal-spontaneite-a-lhonneur/

Mika au Théâtre Corona Virgin Mobile de Montréal: spontanéité à l’honneur

Dossier photo - Mika a présenté son concert «An Intimate Evening» au Théâtre Corona Virgin Mobile hier soir. Il n’a pas hésité à revêtir la peau d’un chef d’orchestre pour faire chanter son public en harmonie.

Sans introduction, Mika s’est présenté sur la scène et a commencé à pianoter les premières notes de «Grace Kelly». En grande forme vocale, il semblait un peu ancré dans sa routine lors des trois premières chansons.

Peu après, sa gêne s’est envolée et il s’est mis à parler au public, en lui disant qu’il était très heureux de faire un spectacle en français, que ça faisait changement. Les deux musiciens qui l’accompagnaient semblaient un peu désarçonnés par le choix de l’ordre des pièces que Mika leur imposait, mais leur grande écoute et leur communication musicale ont rendu l’expérience encore plus agréable. Très sensible à l’énergie dégagée par le public, il a chamboulé la setlist pour faire place à sa spontanéité, une formule gagnante.

Lors de la chanson «Love You When I’m Drunk», il a créé une chorale en quelques instants, faisant chanter la mélodie par le parterre et l’harmonique par le balcon. À la fin de cette pièce, il a lancé en direction de la foule « Merci! Ça faisait sept ans que je voulais faire ça. Vous êtes complètement super!», le sourire au visage.

Il a bien sûr interprété ses plus grand succès tels que «Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)», «Happy Ending» et «Love Today», pour ne nommer que ceux-là. Comme ils n’étaient que trois musiciens sur scène, une saveur plus acoustique permettait de bien apprécier la qualité vocale de Mika.

Plus le spectacle avançait, et plus l’auteur-compositeur-interprète se sentait à l’aise: «Je me sens comme si j’étais chez moi à mon piano en train d’écrire une chanson». Il s’est permis d’interpréter une composition inédite en français qu’il avait créée pour le spectacle.

Après cet interlude, Mika a carrément demandé à la foule ce qu’elle voulait entendre. Il a finalement choisi d’interpréter «Rain». Son musicien lui a rappelé les accords, et le chanteur lui a dit de le rattraper s’il survenait un problème. C’est ce qui s’est produit, alors qu’il entamait le deuxième couplet de la chanson. Il a eu un trou de mémoire. C’est finalement avec l’aide d’un cellulaire offert par le public qu’il a pu se remémorer les paroles et terminer sur une bonne note.

On se sentait vraiment comme si Mika avait invité le public dans son salon pour une prestation amicale. C’était une formule gagnante puisqu’il semblait vraiment apprécier les réactions des gens réunis dans la salle. Si on lui avait attribué un style flamboyant, plein de couleurs et de mouvements au premier abord, l’atmosphère sobre de cette soirée lui allait tout aussi bien.

*Consultez aussi notre dossier photo sur notre page Facebook.

A few words about this interview (and sorry for my mistakes!)

 

He talked about Fanny ardant as an icon of the french cinema and how much he likes her work. He said he met her for the first time at a diner and at the end he was obsessed by her, and he created the clip with her in his head.

Then he talked about the third album and the interviewer said this one is more mature than the other ones but music is still dance. He talked about the concept of creating 14 songs about love and using this concept which is "unhip" by turning it into something funny and dark. He wanted to find a balance and to avoid something too much "candy". The interviewer said, he mixes ashes and light

 

Concerning the album and the tour, he said the album is very produced, arranged, contrary to this tour which is intimate. During the festivals he's planning to do a big show so he wanted to do the opposite of this kind of shows and of the album. Why not being alone with a piano, and showing that his songs can be communicated simply with a piano and 2 musicians and it works.

 

Then they listend to an exctract of EMD/Emily (he said he's ashamed ) in Los angeles and he talked about the fact that americans scream the lyrics in french without understanding anything. This show was crazy and magic and when he was on the piano and with 1000 people in front of him jumping and dancing, it reminded him why he's doing what he's doing.

 

He talked about the old songs, that he doesn't want to skip them stage, he doesn't like the concept of singing only one album. As each album is part of a period of his life, he wants to mix them all and sing songs in french.

Even in Las Vegas he can sing songs in French. And about EMD the interviewer said that it's still the french version which has the most success, he said yes and that when he sings EMD in both french and english he makes a lot of mistakes and one day he stopped singing during 5 minutes because he forgot the lyrics.

 

These new shows in the US are so concentrated, he can't hide behind a production, everything must come from his sincerity and his body gestural. If he wants to make dance the audience, he has to dance himself.

 

Then she wished him a great show but he responded that she could not tell him this, and that she knows what she has to say so he asked if we could tell this word ("Merde") on the canadian radio She told him "we all understood"

 

At the end he talked about the tickets that he has hidden himself in Montreal and that he was going to tweet some clues to find them. She told him she loves how he always uses a playful dimension

Thanks for that summary!

You're welcome

A few words about this interview (and sorry for my mistakes!)

Thank you

That is a stunning photo. I want to sit where they're sitting.

That is a stunning photo. I want to sit where they're sitting.

Me too! I must get a place on the balcony for one of his gigs someday

Mika: un concert électrique

http://www.24hmontreal.canoe.ca/24hmontreal/artsetspectacles/archives/2013/04/20130406-234038.html#.UWHakVKmY-E.facebook

Sur la route depuis le 22 mars dans le cadre de sa tournée nord-américaine, le chanteur britannique survolté Mika a donné samedi soir un concert sur les planches d'un théâtre Corona Virgin plein à craquer.

La dernière fois que le public québécois avait pu applaudir «in vivo» le chanteur d’origine libanaise, c’était lors de la 29e édition de l’International de montgolfières de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

Près de huit mois plus tard, Mika était de retour pour The Origin of Love, son troisième album paru le 17 septembre dernier.

Ce sont les deux musiciens qui accompagnent Mika sur scène qui ont fait office de chauffeurs de salle, rôles qu’ils ont rondement interprétés en proposant un mix digne d’un 31 décembre: un peu de tout ce qui prête à sourire et se trémousser, de Dolly Parton, en passant par le générique de Airwolf ou la musique phare du jeu vidéo Mario.

C’est dans un décor sobre et sur une mise en scène minimaliste (piano demi-queue centré sur la scène, claviéristes de chaque côté, le tout surplombé de trois installations de six lampes d’ampoules pendantes s’illuminant en fonction de l’action) que l’auteur-compositeur-interprète a fait son entrée.

Force est de constater que celui qui a fait une irruption fracassante dans le monde de la pop en 2007 avec Life In Cartoon Motion (l’album des tubes Grace Kelly, Lollipop, Relax, Take it easy et Big Girl (You are Beautiful) a toujours le même effet sur son public.

Les cris et les applaudissements sur le premier titre, Grace Kelly, ont donné au chanteur un aperçu de l’accueil que lui réservait l’auditoire pour le reste de la soirée.

Veste violette, jean serré et chapeau vissé sur la tête, Mika a poursuivi avec The Boy, Billy Brown, et Lollipop, trois titres présents sur son premier album.

Il a fallu attendre le cinquième titre pour entendre Popular Song, le premier morceau de son dernier opus à être joué samedi soir.

«Je parle en français, je chante en anglais, mais j’ai quelques paroles que l’on peut comprendre dans toutes les langues» a lancé Mika, dans un français impeccable, avant de commencer Love You When I'm Drunk, s’amusant même à remplacer «drunk» par «bourré».

Communiquant beaucoup avec le public, le chanteur a ensuite raconté sa vie d’enfant à Paris, ses cours ratés de claquettes, avant de laisser tomber la veste pour interpeller Stuck in the Middle au rythme des percussions faisant penser aux fameux souliers aux semelles de fer.

La machine à tubes a continué sur Underwater, «chanson qui appartient à Montréal», comme il l’a précisé au début de son interprétation, puisqu’il l’a composé en descendant de l’avion en arrivant dans la ville.

--------

by the way, what does ' bourré ' mean ???

by the way, what does ' bourré ' mean ???

It means drunk. In Quebec we would say "saoul" but in France they say "bourré". Mika doesn't know that but it doesn't matter, everyone understood.

 

Mika: un concert électrique

 

http://www.24hmontreal.canoe.ca/24hmontreal/artsetspectacles/archives/2013/04/20130406-234038.html#.UWHakVKmY-E.facebook

 

 

Sur la route depuis le 22 mars dans le cadre de sa tournée nord-américaine, le chanteur britannique survolté Mika a donné samedi soir un concert sur les planches d'un théâtre Corona Virgin plein à craquer.

 

La dernière fois que le public québécois avait pu applaudir «in vivo» le chanteur d’origine libanaise, c’était lors de la 29e édition de l’International de montgolfières de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

 

Près de huit mois plus tard, Mika était de retour pour The Origin of Love, son troisième album paru le 17 septembre dernier.

 

Ce sont les deux musiciens qui accompagnent Mika sur scène qui ont fait office de chauffeurs de salle, rôles qu’ils ont rondement interprétés en proposant un mix digne d’un 31 décembre: un peu de tout ce qui prête à sourire et se trémousser, de Dolly Parton, en passant par le générique de Airwolf ou la musique phare du jeu vidéo Mario.

 

C’est dans un décor sobre et sur une mise en scène minimaliste (piano demi-queue centré sur la scène, claviéristes de chaque côté, le tout surplombé de trois installations de six lampes d’ampoules pendantes s’illuminant en fonction de l’action) que l’auteur-compositeur-interprète a fait son entrée.

 

Force est de constater que celui qui a fait une irruption fracassante dans le monde de la pop en 2007 avec Life In Cartoon Motion (l’album des tubes Grace Kelly, Lollipop, Relax, Take it easy et Big Girl (You are Beautiful) a toujours le même effet sur son public.

 

Les cris et les applaudissements sur le premier titre, Grace Kelly, ont donné au chanteur un aperçu de l’accueil que lui réservait l’auditoire pour le reste de la soirée.

 

Veste violette, jean serré et chapeau vissé sur la tête, Mika a poursuivi avec The Boy, Billy Brown, et Lollipop, trois titres présents sur son premier album.

 

Il a fallu attendre le cinquième titre pour entendre Popular Song, le premier morceau de son dernier opus à être joué samedi soir.

 

«Je parle en français, je chante en anglais, mais j’ai quelques paroles que l’on peut comprendre dans toutes les langues» a lancé Mika, dans un français impeccable, avant de commencer Love You When I'm Drunk, s’amusant même à remplacer «drunk» par «bourré».

 

Communiquant beaucoup avec le public, le chanteur a ensuite raconté sa vie d’enfant à Paris, ses cours ratés de claquettes, avant de laisser tomber la veste pour interpeller Stuck in the Middle au rythme des percussions faisant penser aux fameux souliers aux semelles de fer.

 

La machine à tubes a continué sur Underwater, «chanson qui appartient à Montréal», comme il l’a précisé au début de son interprétation, puisqu’il l’a composé en descendant de l’avion en arrivant dans la ville.

 

--------

 

by the way, what does ' bourré ' mean ???

i'm not sure where he saw the "jeans serré"

Mika was not wearing jeans, but black pants... and they weren't tight

Perhaps it's wishful thinking from the reporter?

Perhaps it's wishful thinking from the reporter?

 

For "bourré" / "saoul", we use both in France, but it's not the same level: "saoul" is the normal word ("langage standard"), but "bourré" is less polite ("langage familier"), even if most of French people prefer this one I think

Does that mean that French people are less polite than Quebec people?

I wish I could translate this article for non-French-speakers, but as you may have seen, my English is not that good