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XL REPUBBLICA - how Mika keeps himself busy ;-) - part 2

robertina

By robertina
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kreacher
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I noticed a lot of the XL links to other MFC posts and scans have been lost so i decided to find them and fix them. I also linked to approximately where the MFC comments about that month's column star

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tiibet

tiibet

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He mentioned Anna Karenina novel !!! Wow, he knows Russian classical literature!

 

I would have been very surprised if he hadn't known Anna Karenina, it's a very famous book... What did he say?

 

Do we already know there won't be more columns? So sad if that's the case. They could publish them online.

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dcdeb

dcdeb

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My attempt at a translation, if no one else is doing it yet.

 

Ode to the Favorite Women of Art, but Don't Let Your Mother Read It

 

Years ago, the Grammy Awards nominated "Love Today" as best song in the "Dance" category; I went to the ceremony and on that red carpet I was giving an interview and smiling at each step. I was live and a journalist of an important network said to me that he loved the song, but didn't understand exactly what it dealt with. "I'm talking about an old depressed prostitute who I used to see every night at 3 a.m.," I said. "She was not working and she was a heroin addict." While my press office was holding its face in its hands, the journalist froze, the interview was interrupted and I said to myself with anger, "Young man, this is how to kill the serenity of a family watching TV." My team asked me how I could say those things: I answered that I was there because of that unmentionable prostitute. I had to remember her also because I owed her a lot more than certain people (hens?) of the record label.

 

Her name was Carolina. I had met her when I was 20 in Miami. Jodi Marr, who was collaborating with me, and I had no money and we begged to have a studio for recording my first demo. In exchange we would lend our voices for bad latin-pop recordings. We were prostituting ourselves for a studio and for getting out of anonymity. Often after normal work hours, from 7 in the evening until 2 in the morning. I didn't drive, and Jodi left me at a service station, where my sister or a friend would come and get me. Carolina was always there waiting for clients. I understood that this meant that she was not working. It didn't suprise me. She didn't seem to be in good health. Her great strength, however, fascinated me. One day, I was done and I didn't see her any more. Then I wrote the song, without thinking that it could be particularly interesting, but I wrote it for her.

 

But what do the oldest profession of the world and art have in common? Musicians, writers, and painters have been inspired by prostitutes and courtesans for centuries. Their works were shown in palaces, cathedrals, and the music was even played at weddings, where their sources of inspiration would never have been welcome. From Roxanne by the Police to Mary Magdalene of Guercino, from the women of Degas or Manet to Traviata and Anna Karenina, everyone has used the moral dilemma of sex for profit as their launching point. I think, what is admirable is the courage that it takes to engage yourself in a relationship with prostitution. The Buddhists believe in the separation of the mind from the body which implies that prostitution of the mind is more questionable and dangerous. In a capitalist society, we regulate "the mind" controlling the transactions and actions of the person. It seems logical also to regulate prostitution. And if we decriminalize prostitution the exploitation and the suffering of those involved would be alleviated.

 

The most well-known pop song on prostitution is Killer Queen by Freddie Mercury. His words, in which I really believe, are, "We are all musical whores, my dear." We really are, Freddie! Even Churchill, who wasn't afraid of getting his hands a bit dirty, at an exclusive party, asked a guest to sleep with him for 5 million pounds. Blushing, she replied that she would have to agree and at that point Churchill offered her 5 pounds. "What type of woman do you think I am?" "Madame, we know perfectly what type of woman you are. Now we're just haggling over price." God! We really need a leader like him these days.

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Julia Welcomes

Julia Welcomes

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My attempt at a translation, if no one else is doing it yet.

 

Ode to the Favorite Women of Art, but Don't Let Your Mother Read It

 

Years ago, the Grammy Awards nominated "Love Today" as best song in the "Dance" category; I went to the ceremony and on that red carpet I was giving an interview and smiling at each step. I was live and a journalist of an important network said to me that he loved the song, but didn't understand exactly what it dealt with. "I'm talking about an old depressed prostitute who I used to see every night at 3 a.m.," I said. "She was not working and she was a heroin addict." While my press office was holding its face in its hands, the journalist froze, the interview was interrupted and I said to myself with anger, "Young man, this is how to kill the serenity of a family watching TV." My team asked me how I could say those things: I answered that I was there because of that unmentionable prostitute. I had to remember her even because I owed her a lot more than certain people (hens?) of the record label.

 

Her name was Carolina. I had met her when I was 20 in Miami. Jodi Marr, who was collaborating with me, and I had no money and we begged to have a studio for recording my first demo. In exchange we would lend our voices for bad latin-pop recordings. We were prostituting ourselves for a studio and for getting out of anonymity. Often after normal work hours, from 7 in the evening until 2 in the morning. I didn't drive, and Jodi left me at a service station, where my sister or a friend would come and get me. Carolina was always there waiting for clients. I understood that this meant that she was not working. It didn't suprise me. She didn't seem to be in good health. Her great strength, however, fascinated me. One day, I was done and I didn't see her any more. Then I wrote the song, without thinking that it could be particularly interesting, but I wrote it for her.

 

But what do the oldest profession of the world and art have in common? Musicians, writers, and painters have been inspired by prostitutes and courtesans for centuries. Their works were shown in palaces, cathedrals, and the music was even played at weddings, where their sources of inspiration would never have been welcome. From Roxanne by the Police to Mary Magdalene of Guercino, from the women of Degas or Manet to Traviata and Anna Karenina, everyone has used the moral dilemma of sex for profit as their launching point. I think, what is admirable is the courage that it takes to engage yourself in a relationship with prostitution. The Buddhists believe in the separation of the mind from the body which implies that prostitution of the mind is more questionable and dangerous. In a capitalist society, we regulate "the mind" controlling the transactions and actions of the person. It seems logical also to regulate prostitution. And if we decriminalize prostitution the exploitation and the suffering of those involved would be alleviated.

 

The most well-known pop song on prostitution is Killer Queen by Freddie Mercury. His words, in which I really believe, are, "We are all musical whores, my dear." We really are, Freddie! Even Churchill, who wasn't afraid of getting his hands a bit dirty, at an exclusive party, asked a guest to sleep with him for 5 million pounds. Blushing, she replied that she would have to agree and at that point Churchill offered her 5 pounds. "What type of woman do you think I am?" "Madame, we know perfectly what type of woman you are. Now we're just haggling over price." God! We really need a leader like him these days.

 

Thank you so much Deb.

 

The whole issue is very controversial.... Mika meets Freud .

 

However, one phrase made my queeniac heart sing:wub2:

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mellody

mellody

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Posted

thanks deb! :flowers2: lovely to read the details of the lt story!

and i wonder whether he refers to his side projects with this article... he has hinted in another interview already that he's doing the tv shows for the money ("to gain more freedom in making my music" were his words, i think), and this prostitution topic, especially freddie's quote, goes in the same direction.

btw, am i the only one who wants to hear those "bad latin-pop recordings" now? :teehee:

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dcdeb

dcdeb

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Posted (edited)
Wow that was fast, thank you Deb!! :flowers2:

 

You know, that's been the primary benefit of Italian X Factor for me -- my Italian translation skills have improved greatly. I was really out of practice. I'm still rusty when it comes to speaking the language however. I think Mika's fluency has far surpassed mine by now. :naughty:

 

As for the interview, I don't have time to fully translate, but in summary: They ask him what Italy has given him that he didn't have before, and he says a sense of "ordered chaos and anarchy." He likes that and the mix of pop culture with high art. They ask him about his XL columns and he says he's thinking of putting them all together in a book, but that he'd rewrite them first. He has this idea of assigning each column to a part of his body, to sort of tell the story of his life. :aah: They also tease him a bit about the Italian words he invented (choosato, etc.) and then they talk about his "coming out," and how the phrase is a stupid one. He talks a little about his mixed heritage, and how it has both positive and negative aspects. They ask him about his Songbook CD and he said he wanted it for Italy, as a representation of his work. He says also that he wanted to put out a collection of all his songs, even those that haven't been released, but the label told him no one would buy it and wouldn't do it. But he adds that he'll do it one day. Finally, about Morgan -- they ask him if they're doing an album, and he says they can't even manage to finish one song yet! :naughty:

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mellody

mellody

Posted
Posted
. He says also that he wanted to put out a collection of all his songs, even those that haven't been released, but the label told him no one would buy it and wouldn't do it. But he adds that he'll do it one day. :

 

we should have a word with his record label! :sneaky2:

 

thanks for the summary!

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