MIKA @XFactor Italy 2013 as a judge!

ROMA - Mika will be one of the four X Factor judges. <<I'm very excited about this new italian avventure, it will be a big challenge.>>, he said at the ANSA <<I immediately said "yes". I liked the show a lot, especially compared to others in which I had performed.From you, I had sung three times, I liked the team, I have seen real artists on that stage.>> Like Chiara, winner of the last edition with the whom he made a duet in the final: << I love her, she has an immense talent - Mika said - She's not perfect but she has a real voice. I would like to work again with here. >>

Meanwhile, he doesn't separate himself from his Italian teacher: << I will also bring it to me on tour. I'm learning your language, give me some time >>.

La Repubblica, 24.04.2013

EDIT: Found another one from ANSA and it's longer...i'm also translating it

Robie? Get ready to travel! he's bringing you along!

Oh! Not bad indeed!

Here are the statements of the Lebanese pop star Mika that will be one of the four judges of the seventh edition of the talent show for Sky One, which it will be aired in autumn.

"I am very excited for this new Italian adventure, it will be a big challenge," says to the ANSA the 29 year-old Lebanese pop star Mika, reached by telephone in London, which will be one of the four judges of X Factor 7.

"I speak English, French and Spanish, in other shows in various countries of the world, I was asked to be a judge - he explains - but for some reason it has never been possible. At the end of last year, one of the producers of X Factor asked me. I immediately said yes. I had loved the show, especially compared to others in which I had performed. From you I had sung three times, I liked the team, I saw some real artists on that stage. "

With "Chiara Galiazzo" he duet in the final: "I adore her, she has an immense talent. I remember that just got off the plane I rushed into the studio, I got on the piano and started to sing with her: I immediately thought 'oh my God, she is a real singer'. She's not perfect, but she has a real voice. I would love to work with her again. "

He met Simona Ventura, who calls her "a strong woman" and those who asked him if she could be called "the Margaret Thatcher of Italian television" she answers laughing: "Yes, I do not know, certainly she wears a lot of jewelry ...".

Of course, he still does not know which category will be entrusted to him, but it's not a problem: "A singer of 45 years can be phenomenal and a very young, however, can be flat. What I want is to bring my competitors as far as possible, let them achieve excellence. I can not say who will be the other judges, but I know we are looking for those who have a real potential for a future career. Just look at Marco Mengoni or Giusy Ferreri, who sang the song by Tiziano Ferro, November, one of the most beautiful Italian songs of the past few years. Ramazzotti wrote to Chiara: there are great artists involved in this talent. "

What advice would you give to an aspiring pop star? "Always aim for excellence. To me it makes no difference to sing at a coffee shop for 30 people or a full stadium: I have always tried to show people my universe and overcome my limitations. You need to find your own style and be natural, you don't need to imitate anyone. "

In Milan he will rent an apartment close to the studies, "so during breaks I will write my new songs, and even some musicians from London will reach me."

Meanwhile, he doesn't separate himself from his Italian teacher: "I'll take it even on tour in Japan and Korea. I'm learning your language, give me time," he concludes in perfect Italian.

Link: http://realityshow.blogosfere.it/2013/04/x-factor-7-mika-giudice-sto-imparando-litaliano-adoro-chiara-due-esempi-mengoni-e-la-ferreri.html

I was thinking a lot about why I have no problem that he does it although I would have been very skeptical and disapproving of the news "Mika will be judge on a casting show" in the past or under different circumstances.

Probably it would have been different for me if it hadn't been Italian XFactor. But with Italian XFactor several points come together that are making his decision and his changing of mind follow-able for me and therefore I don't have the impression that he got untrue to himself.

Yes, he said that he doesn't like shows like XFactor in the past. But time went on after that (and what was true about the casting shows back than doesn't mean it is true for all casting shows / Italian XFactor now) and it was before he was a guest at Italian XFactor and saw it from the inside and it was before he met Chiara.

I myself was a hater of casting-shows in the past. But I changed my mind over the years because time proved that not all contestants/winners are manufactured, faked and conformized people that have no room for personality and individuality and not all shows are trash. It depends on the show itself (there are different formats and even the same formats are handled differently in different countries) and the people who take part, the judges and the people behind it. So the equation for me isn't anymore "casting show = bad", but rather "casting show = it depends".

And as I myself changed my opinion I'm of course very accepting that Mika did it as well

So, I won't say XFactor Italy is bad just because it's a casting show, I will wait till I see it before I make my judgment about that. And from the little parts I knew about the show (Marco Mengoni as former winner, Chiara as a former winner, statements about the judges from Italians here) it doesn't seem to be that bad.

And maybe he had a similar development in thinking about casting shows in general. But we don't know that of course and maybe I'm transferring my thoughts a little bit too much on him. But what we know is his reaction to Chiara.

Chiara is really one key point for me. He was so thrilled about her! The rehearsal with Chiara is one of the biggest "Mika is totally excited"-moments of the last year I've seen.

AwNkA0x6IVU

He clearly loves her and thinks she is great although she is a contestant in Xfactor.

And as I see it most of his resentments in the past originated because he thought no individual artist / people who are great / people from whom he thinks they are great would have a chance in casting shows. So, seeing Chiara was a big proof for him that this needn't be the case all the time / not in XFactor Italy and was part in changing his mind.

Also with Chiara he got a small impression of how it is to work with contestants and probably he seemed to like it (if he felt otherwise we wouldn't have said "yes"). And he is the type of guy who tries a lot of different things. And maybe it's appealing for him to try to be the "teacher" and work with contestants and pass on what he thinks about music.

And personally I think it will be interesting to see how he will work with the contestants.

Another thing is that you have two options if you don't like (everything about) something: boycott it or try to change it. Of course its nonsense to do something if you are total against it, but if something has some negative and some positive sites you can try to change it in a better way. And maybe Mika is seeing a chance to encourage more individual talents in casting shows and to develop these shows more in the "right direction".

Also some other personal reasons are imaginable:

Maybe he wants to be at one place for a longer time for a change while he works. While touring and with his way of doing writing sessions he moves around the world all the time. And with XFactor Italy he has the chance to be longer at a place that he clearly loves. (Would have felt at least much stranger to me if he had decided to do XFactor Portugal for example )

Maybe he wants to be with his BF for a longer time (it's after all much easier to be together more time if Mika is at one place for a longer period).

Maybe he wants a break from touring for rest and distraction and living a little bit of life.

Of course we don’t know his reasons as we aren't in his head. But I see a lot of reason why he wants to do it and it doesn't seem like he is doing something he doesn't want to do for money or other "bad reasons" for me. And that’s the most important part for me.

Do I wish that he would do acoustic gigs and normal gigs in Europe, South America, Asia, Australia? Of course. Do I wish that we would get a new album in not a long time? Of course. I can't get enough of his music and his performances.

But I got the impression that he needs to do and try a lot of different and new things and needs new challenges all the times as a person. And if he made the decision that one of these challenges is XFactor Italy I'm okay with it.

It's not about trusting him in every move he does or saying that I think everything he did was, he does is or he will do will be right just because he is Mika. It's just that I don't have a big problem with this particular decision. It's not a news I get exited about, but it's not a bad news either for me, I'm mostly neutral about it and have a "if he wants to do it, he should do it"-attitude.

Thanks for the translation, Lucrezia

Thanks for posting the translation, Lucrezia

I wish he'd be a judge for a song writing talent show instead of just singers if he absolutely had to be on one of these shows. I can't stand any of them, but the main reason X-Factor and Idol bug me so much is that it's not really about musical talents, but just a bunch of people trying to sound like Mariah Carey or something. I wish the public would be more encouraged to play instruments and record music (and sing along to that) instead of just singing and dancing or whatever. It just makes a mockery of what music means to me, personally.

Changes absolutely nothing for me.

I was thinking a lot about why I have no problem that he does it although I would have been very skeptical and disapproving of the news "Mika will be judge on a casting show" in the past or under different circumstances.

 

Probably it would have been different for me if it hadn't been Italian XFactor. But with Italian XFactor several points come together that are making his decision and his changing of mind follow-able for me and therefore I don't have the impression that he got untrue to himself.

 

Yes, he said that he doesn't like shows like XFactor in the past. But time went on after that (and what was true about the casting shows back than doesn't mean it is true for all casting shows / Italian XFactor now) and it was before he was a guest at Italian XFactor and saw it from the inside and it was before he met Chiara.

 

I myself was a hater of casting-shows in the past. But I changed my mind over the years because time proved that not all contestants/winners are manufactured, faked and conformized people that have no room for personality and individuality and not all shows are trash. It depends on the show itself (there are different formats and even the same formats are handled differently in different countries) and the people who take part, the judges and the people behind it. So the equation for me isn't anymore "casting show = bad", but rather "casting show = it depends".

 

And as I myself changed my opinion I'm of course very accepting that Mika did it as well

 

So, I won't say XFactor Italy is bad just because it's a casting show, I will wait till I see it before I make my judgment about that. And from the little parts I knew about the show (Marco Mengoni as former winner, Chiara as a former winner, statements about the judges from Italians here) it doesn't seem to be that bad.

 

And maybe he had a similar development in thinking about casting shows in general. But we don't know that of course and maybe I'm transferring my thoughts a little bit too much on him. But what we know is his reaction to Chiara.

 

Chiara is really one key point for me. He was so thrilled about her! The rehearsal with Chiara is one of the biggest "Mika is totally excited"-moments of the last year I've seen.

 

AwNkA0x6IVU

 

He clearly loves her and thinks she is great although she is a contestant in Xfactor.

 

And as I see it most of his resentments in the past originated because he thought no individual artist / people who are great / people from whom he thinks they are great would have a chance in casting shows. So, seeing Chiara was a big proof for him that this needn't be the case all the time / not in XFactor Italy and was part in changing his mind.

 

Also with Chiara he got a small impression of how it is to work with contestants and probably he seemed to like it (if he felt otherwise we wouldn't have said "yes"). And he is the type of guy who tries a lot of different things. And maybe it's appealing for him to try to be the "teacher" and work with contestants and pass on what he thinks about music.

 

And personally I think it will be interesting to see how he will work with the contestants.

 

Another thing is that you have two options if you don't like (everything about) something: boycott it or try to change it. Of course its nonsense to do something if you are total against it, but if something has some negative and some positive sites you can try to change it in a better way. And maybe Mika is seeing a chance to encourage more individual talents in casting shows and to develop these shows more in the "right direction".

 

Also some other personal reasons are imaginable:

 

Maybe he wants to be at one place for a longer time for a change while he works. While touring and with his way of doing writing sessions he moves around the world all the time. And with XFactor Italy he has the chance to be longer at a place that he clearly loves. (Would have felt at least much stranger to me if he had decided to do XFactor Portugal for example )

 

Maybe he wants to be with his BF for a longer time (it's after all much easier to be together more time if Mika is at one place for a longer period).

 

Maybe he wants a break from touring for rest and distraction and living a little bit of life.

 

Of course we don’t know his reasons as we aren't in his head. But I see a lot of reason why he wants to do it and it doesn't seem like he is doing something he doesn't want to do for money or other "bad reasons" for me. And that’s the most important part for me.

 

Do I wish that he would do acoustic gigs and normal gigs in Europe, South America, Asia, Australia? Of course. Do I wish that we would get a new album in not a long time? Of course. I can't get enough of his music and his performances.

 

But I got the impression that he needs to do and try a lot of different and new things and needs new challenges all the times as a person. And if he made the decision that one of these challenges is XFactor Italy I'm okay with it.

 

It's not about trusting him in every move he does or saying that I think everything he did was, he does is or he will do will be right just because he is Mika. It's just that I don't have a big problem with this particular decision. It's not a news I get exited about, but it's not a bad news either for me, I'm mostly neutral about it and have a "if he wants to do it, he should do it"-attitude.

beautiful speech! I totally agree with you! Totally!

oh thank God!

:clap::clap::clap:

I wish he'd be a judge for a song writing talent show instead of just singers if he absolutely had to be on one of these shows. I can't stand any of them, but the main reason X-Factor and Idol bug me so much is that it's not really about musical talents, but just a bunch of people trying to sound like Mariah Carey or something. I wish the public would be more encouraged to play instruments and record music (and sing along to that) instead of just singing and dancing or whatever. It just makes a mockery of what music means to me, personally.

Are there any rules about XFactor in general and XFactor Italy especially? In that I would be really interested. In Germany we had for example a casting show (but it was not Xfactor) where it was possible to play instruments and sing your own songs.

Are there any rules about XFactor in general and XFactor Italy especially? In that I would be really interested. In Germany we had for example a casting show (but it was not Xfactor) where it was possible to play instruments and sing your own songs.

Also in Italy there are some talent shows were you can play instruments. Not such a good show, but it exists .

Xfactor was created like this, and I think is like this all over the world. The format is this..

little phone interview

http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/videogallery/spettacolo/2013/04/23/Tv-Mika-Factor-mia-nuova-sfida_8603479.html#.UXhdBKDcowY.facebook

little phone interview

 

http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/videogallery/spettacolo/2013/04/23/Tv-Mika-Factor-mia-nuova-sfida_8603479.html#.UXhdBKDcowY.facebook

Oh thank you Maurizia!!

Oh thank you Maurizia!!

prego Lucrezia

Lucrezia ma c'è un intervista a Mika su Sorrisi e Canzoni tv di questa settimana?

prego Lucrezia

 

Lucrezia ma c'è un intervista a Mika su Sorrisi e Canzoni tv di questa settimana?

No era solo online

For all english people, Maurizia asked me if there was an interview on a italian magazine "Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni" and i replied no because it was just a news on the site

No era solo online

 

 

For all english people, Maurizia asked me if there was an interview on a italian magazine "Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni" and i replied no because it was just a news on the site

ah ok, thanks

It's so crackling , could someone help me with the missing parts?

Let's talk about your new role in X-Factor Italy. Are you excited?

Yes, it's like an adventure to me. You know, I've been asked to do a few of these shows in different places around the world, because I speak French and I speak Spanish and English. You know, I've been asked to do a few of them in different places where as normally an artist who thinks mostly in English would only be asked to do them in English speaking countries. And I've been looking at doing them but for them reason I was […], you know, for some reason I never expected to […] a talent show. And after I did it, after I appeared on it at the end of last year, from that night on - I walked of this set and on producer looked at me and she goes "You […] think, you may think I'm crazy, but would you be interested if it ever became possible, would you be interested?" And immediately I turned around and answered "yes, yes".

I like the vibe of the show, especially compared to other shows that I've performed on, on other talent shows I've performed on in the world, I like the vibe of the Italian one. I've performed on it three times, I like the team, I like the fact that it delivers consistently artists that perform as real artists hosts the show (???). I mean, not always, but mostly it's always wanted (?)

You made a duet with Chiara, she is the winner of the last X-Factor, how did you find her and do you like her, are you going to make some records with her in the future?

I've to be honest, my reaction that I had on the TV show, I don't know if you saw. I arrived from the airport, I went straight to the studio, I sat down at the piano and started rehearsing with Chiara and instantly I was like "Oh my god, this is a real singer. This is a real singer who is not perfect". And because she is not perfect, but she has a real voice with sounds (?), she is real, you know, she is not like a singer from the Broadway Show, she has a real artistry about the way she sings. So, yes, I liked her instantly, as a singer I love her. I think she is extremely talented, and who knows, in the future I'd love to do more with her.

You will talk in Italian or you have difficulties with the language?

[speaks Italian]

Listen, have you met Simona Ventura?

Yes, I have, …

Do you like her?

… she is a strong lady.

Strong Lady? (laughs)

She is a strong lady (laughs)

 

In Milan he will rent an apartment close to the studies, "so during breaks I will write my new songs, and even some musicians from London will reach me."

 

somehow this thread was a lot smaller when i looked yesterday... i didn't follow the discussion, just read the last 2 pages - so all i'm gonna add is that i agree with DerMoment ... and i love the interview. wow, his italian sounds perfect! i'll have to hurry up if i want to learn enough italian in time to understand what he's saying on that show!

do we know yet when the auditions will start?

anyway, thanks lucrezia and clara for posting/translating the interview/s! guess it's the same interview, and judging from the written one, it was a bit longer than what we can hear in the phone interview.

little phone interview

 

http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/videogallery/spettacolo/2013/04/23/Tv-Mika-Factor-mia-nuova-sfida_8603479.html#.UXhdBKDcowY.facebook

Thanks a lot for posting !!

The sounds are not good very much. Is it because of my Internet streaming speed or poor PHONE ?

Hope anybody download and share it please.

 

somehow this thread was a lot smaller when i looked yesterday... i didn't follow the discussion, just read the last 2 pages - so all i'm gonna add is that i agree with DerMoment ... and i love the interview. wow, his italian sounds perfect! i'll have to hurry up if i want to learn enough italian in time to understand what he's saying on that show!

 

do we know yet when the auditions will start?

 

anyway, thanks lucrezia and clara for posting/translating the interview/s! guess it's the same interview, and judging from the written one, it was a bit longer than what we can hear in the phone interview.

I relanctly cameback tonight and Dermoment post was just what I needed, thanks!

Thanks for the interviews and translation!

This thread makes me sad in many ways, putting fans in categories etc. But I just read your excellent post DerMoment! Very much agree with you! I loved his performance with Chiara last year too. She was a real singer and I loved their chemistry.

I guess in order to save money on accommodation

 

yes, I've read that too, but articles and comments are mostly positive

 

I bet it will better than we think

Of course he will.

He's our Mika, folks!!!

they posted Relax on Mika's fb page

Yeah!!! TEIKIRISEEEEEE, definitely.

Yes Chiara is such an amazing singer! Not like those no-talents Kelly Clarkson, Leona Lewis and Adam Lambert who were winning Simon Cowell contests when Mika was claiming to be the anti X Factor artist. I mean they can barely hold a tune right? And who would ever buy their records?

He will be writing his next album with people from London right from his Italian flat! Gosh it's almost as if he was reading my exact concerns about him taking on a TV show. Glad you cleared that up Mika with that random bit of info.

Sigh.

I will see you all in 2016.

He also said that he had to write alone and he proved otherwise after, no?

Yeah, and when he recluded it happened he wasn't able to write for a long time...