charlie20

Washington Blade https://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/07/09/mikas-magic-touch/ July 9, 2015 at 3:52 pm EDT | by Joey DiGuglielmo Mika’s magic touch Mika’s new album is his most mature and autobiographical to date, yet it’s no less fun to listen to than his earlier work. (Photo by Peter Lindbergh) It’s pretty staggering to note in retrospect when pop acts — or any artist — were on great runs. Realizing, for example, that Fleetwood Mac released “Fleetwood Mac,” “Rumours,” “Tusk” and “Mirage” successively or that Joni Mitchell released “Blue,” “For the Roses,” “Court and Spark, “Hissing of Summer Lawns” and “Hejira” in a legendary ‘70s streak, simply boggles the mind. It’s harder to recognize when it’s happening, but glimpses of this kind of thing are discernible in contemporary pop. With the June release of his fourth album “No Place in Heaven,” pop wunderkind Mika is on that kind of a masterpiece-dropping fever cycle. It’s also his gayest album yet. It would be tempting to think, based on album opener and first single “Talk About You,” that we’re in for a slighter, more throwaway affair than the last album (released in 2012) which opened with an epic bang on the title cut “Origin of Love.” But that would be a mistake as this opener, though catchy, turns out to be the most disposable thing here. A treasure trove of near Beatles-caliber pop magic awaits on the rest and makes for a very strong winning streak when considered alongside “Origin” and 2009’s “The Boy Who Knew Too Much.” Long-time co-producer Greg Wells (Adele, Katy Perry, Pink) returns for much of the proceedings. What makes it so great? It’s a masterpiece of tone balance both lyrically and musically. Mika’s often earnest yet manages never to lose his sense of humor. The cuts are tight and stylistically varied with nary a dud in the batch. Having grown more comfortable in his gay skin — he came out officially in 2012 though he’d suggested openness to male lovers a few years’ prior — and even, at just 31, matured as a songwriter, this album and “Origin” have a gravitas lacking on the first two. Refreshingly, his material has lost none of its fun along the way. Even on ponderous torchy songs like “Ordinary Man,” it’s never heavy handed. Queer themes abound and provide the album’s strongest moments from the cheeky “All She Wants,” (about a mom who straight-washes her son to the point of wishing he were someone else entirely) to the tightly hooked shuffle “Rio” to the highly syncopated, tough-yet-slinky bonus cut “Promiseland” where he “lived my life as the good boy I was told I should be/prayed every night to a religion that was chosen for me.” For a guy who sang euphorically of “teenage dreams in a teenage circus” (on “We Are Golden”), to find him grappling with larger questions of faith and marriage is startling at first, but works. A trio of cuts stand above the rest: with a sly reference to the Paula Cole hit “Where Have all the Cowboys Gone,” Mika wonders “where have all the gay guys gone” on “Good Guys” while a backing outfit that sounds like the Polyphonic Spree sing lines like “we are all in the gutter” with the same joyousness you hear on “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.” “Good Wife” finds him playing consoler to a straight guy he’s crushing on whose wife ran out. It’s both funny and poignant. The finest moment is the tender prayer of the title track in which the singer, over a noodling piano figure, sings of “being cast away” by the church and begging God to “learn to love me anyway.” It’s a sophisticated lament to which many burned by religion will relate. The melodies are memorable and first rate throughout — they’re ear worms first, meditations on life and love second. It only takes one bad gay singer/songwriter pop album to make you realize how easily these kinds of outings can backfire and how truly rare the great ones are. If you’ve never heard of, say, Matt Zarley for one, thank your lucky stars (queer unctuousness run amok). There are legions of others who are decent: the Tom Gosses and Jason & deMarcos of the world. Rufus Wainwright is clearly talented but about as much fun as a Good Friday service. Mika is in a league of his own.

You are not off subject, you instead are absolutely right and understand the issue perfectly!

Considering the lot of work for so many interviews, the translation of the video of NPIH's press conference is pending, so I'm planning to do the translation of these articles in the next few days, trying to avoid repeating what has already been said and what "some journalist also messed up what he really meant", if that's still OK with you. Any help will be welcome, obviously.

Thank you very much for sharing them!

Yes, you're totally right. It's a nonsense, no one prevents them from being homophobic, but when they want to deny to others their civil rights just for stupid prejudices and ignorance is another matter.

Yes, the manifestations "to defend" the family are truly offensive and this is simply homophobia. Our politicians don't have the courage to oppose the power of the Church (and any other strong power) and give rights to everyone. I think we still have a long way to go, but let's hope that there will be a change soon.

Thanks for sharing this! I liked this interview and his honesty about his sexuality and private life, but sorry, I absolutely don't agree with him on the Pope. I have already said what I think about him ( http://www.mikafanclub.com/topic/31270-mika-and-dario-fo-on-francesco-lo-santo-jullare-rai1-italian-tv-22nd-june-2014/page-9) "I'm sorry, but I don't agree with Dario Fo about the Pope. This Pope is certainly very skilled in communicating, but the words are one thing and facts are another. And, specifically, the church has not changed its policy towards homosexuality and the rights of gay (LGBT) people, in fact the Pope has reiterated/confirmed it very clearly (family, marriage and children), while the famous phrase, although nice, was aimed at gay priests (chaste, then) and the alleged/presumed “gay lobby” in the Vatican.Recently he has also met the President of the French movement Manuf pour tous, giving his support and, it is said his advice, to their “fight". " and even now I think so, because nothing has changed in the policy of the Church and the Pope. I think Mika is very intelligent and I understand his hopes, but it's the Pope in person who met the French ambassador Laurent Stefanini and refused him because he is gay and because he didn't "appreciate" that France approved the law on marriages for same-sex persons. And his words, as well as that of cardinals and bishops, against "gender" prevented in fact any initiative to combat bullying in schools, doing remove and eliminate information booklets, to stop all discriminations, for teachers on how to address these problems with students. Sorry, but his positions are always the same since he was in Argentina. Gay people, for the Church, and for many bigots and ignorant people, must not have sex, live alone and in silence, not "claim" their rights and don't "flaunt" or "display" their sexuality in public. I can't agree with those who deny the others to be themselves, to love another person and to have a family, and that interfere constantly in the laicity of States. Unfortunately in Italy it's very difficult to oppose the power and influence of the Church, and we are not Ireland! I'm really sorry, it wasn't my intention to be polemic!

Is it possible to anyone to save the sound check's periscope and upload somewhere, please? It was really good!

Is it possible to save the sound check's periscope, please? It was really good! (But maybe Natasha Meoli will put it on youtube. At least, I hope it)

It's "RÉDACTEUR EN CHEF", Rédac' is the contraction of Rédacteur. From this: http://www.rtl2.fr/culture http://media.rtl2.fr/cache/fq38_CCAWzUdXQ_QfFYYIg/300v250-2/online/image/2015/0629/7778920769_autopromo-mika-redacteur-en-chef-d-un-jour.jpg

Rédac' Chef d'un jour Mika prend la main sur les contenus de RTL2.fr http://www.rtl2.fr/sujet/redacteur-en-chef Pourquoi l'ère des icônes à la James Dean est révolue http://www.rtl2.fr/culture/pourquoi-l-ere-des-icones-a-la-james-dean-est-revolue-7778847280 Beck, une carrière atypique en 8 chansons http://www.rtl2.fr/culture/beck-une-carriere-atypique-en-8-chansons-7778835507 Peter Lindbergh, l'affranchi de la mode http://www.rtl2.fr/culture/peter-lindbergh-l-affranchi-de-la-mode-7778834377 Le Baratin : "Le bistrot du dimanche d'Alain Souchon et des Négresses Vertes" http://www.rtl2.fr/culture/le-baratin-le-bistrot-du-dimanche-d-alain-souchon-et-des-negresses-vertes-7778923607 Courtney Barnett, une Australienne à l'humour et l'autodérision punk http://www.rtl2.fr/culture/courtney-barnett-l-australienne-a-l-humour-et-l-autoderision-punk-7778858206

The last page of the interview in Italian and the page of the interview in English:

Thanks for sharing these articles! I understood them thanks to Google, but if someone who speaks Spanish wants to translate it properly (,please), they are really worth it.

Thanks a lot!

Has anyone, by chance, the article on "Famiglia Cristiana" ? I am very curious about it.

https://twitter.com/mikasounds/status/614480836222689280 MIKA official Account verificato‏@mikasounds Today 2015 and and is ok. Marriage equality procures positivity and tolerance. A good good day indeed X Congratulations to the Americans and to their Supreme Court !! http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/rainbows-rainbows-rainbows?bftw&utm_term=4ldqpfp#.llLezp6PY And Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's beautiful words should be read by many, many people.

A very funny interview on the magazine "Stylist" 25.6.2015 : "Le Dictateur - à quoi ressembleraient nos vies si on lui confiait le pays?" "The Dictator - what would our lives if we entrusted him with the country?" Le Dictateur Mika - The Dictator Mika https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CIXZpXNW8AIa0th.jpg Thanks to https://twitter.com/Lazy_Tine/status/614136230192783361 ! If anyone has a better version to article, can post it, please?

Mika is not and never has been only a singer, he is a songwriter and he has said many times that he considers himself essentially a songwriter. His words/lyrics are him, what he feels at that moment and his way of expressing it, to express himself and it is what distinguishes him and his music. Is he or are his lyrics perfect? No, of course, but I prefer innumerable/countless times his "imperfection" than the "comfortable" or "better", or whatever people call it (but from what perspective?) songs and lyrics of many other writers. Obviously this is just my opinion.

This, but I think also this: http://www.corriere.it/spettacoli/15_maggio_19/morgan-contro-sky-lite-x-factor-non-sono-stato-pagato-8b730188-fe5b-11e4-bed4-3ff992d01df9.shtml?refresh_ce-cp He is again in controversy with Sky, accusing them of not giving him the agreed payment and then he spoke against the talent shows. Sky and Freemantle (the production company) replied to him that the payment was instead seized by Equitalia, a company in charge of tax collection throughout Italy, for a "credit of over 300,000 euro" against him, while a bonus that was provided in his contract related to compliance with the commitments with the production, has not been paid because "Morgan held several times publicly conduct incompatible with the basic principles of professionalism." In fact he had deserted the recording of an episode of the "Bootcamp/Six chairs challenge" (and a press conference, also some rehearsals with his talents) and had left in direct one of the episodes of the live shows. Obviously he has denied, but these are things that have all seen.

The entire translation: MIKA PRESENTS THE NEW ALBUM WITH A PAIR OF SHOES FULL OF “X FACTOR”. BUT THE SINGER DOESN’T LOVE FASHION.THE STYLE, THAT, HOWEVER, YES.AND HIS (STYLE) IS AT HIGH RATE OF FANTASY. Louboutin sneakers keep me standing (In the third scan, next to the photo:) Mika (31 years old) was born in Beirut, Lebanon, from a Lebanese mother and an American father. He moved to Paris as a child, and then to London. In July he will be in concert in Taormina and Cattolica; in September he will sing in Milan, Rome and Florence. Mika says his fifth album (my edit: actually it’s the fourth) is the result of a moment of courage. It’s the answer to some questions that he did to himself for a long time. Like: will I ever find the courage/boldness to put into one song all the gay heroes of my adolescence? Yes, he has found it. Will I ever have the audacity to put my mark on each piece, to say what I think without worrying about the consequences? Yes, he had. For this he considers "No Place In Heaven", which will be released on June 15, the album of his maturity. “Before, I didn’t have total control of my creativity”, he explains, “now I feel more confident.This album is a private diary, adult but candid”. Nota bene: he lingers to search every word because in three months of work between London and New York, he has lost almost completely familiarity with the Italian. He is tired and jet-lagged, but has always that smile as a little boy who is afraid to have made some trouble (/ got into trouble or to have made mischief). A smile a la / à la (in the manner or style of ) Mika, if you know what I mean. You are a very ironic person, but your lyrics are serious. “I don’t lose my playful side. I use pop music, light (music), because the melody must be immediate. But a song without a text that addresses real arguments is like a perfume without the low notes: fragile. In my opinion, a song that does not talk of/about life becomes even a little pornographic.” How was born/ it originated the tribute to the gay heroes of "Good Guys" and that, moving/touching, to Freddie Mercury in "Last Party"? “All men that I quote, from Auden to Rimbaud, from Cocteau to Warhol, had an exceptional/ out of the ordinary talent. They have suffered because of their condition, but were not depressed or aggressive: they were for all of us a source of originality/newness and creativity” When Freddie Mercury died, you were 11 years old. What did you know about him? “I discovered Mercury later.I was on vacation studio in Granada, I didn't have bonded with my classmates. I found a tape (cassette) of his songs and I listened it to exhaustion, isolating myself. Of course from the academic point of view it was a disastrous trip, I had bad votes. But that music cassette changed my life”. In Italy by now you are/feels at home ... "The encounter with this country has been amazing. Everyone looks to the United States and England as places with a more open culture. As far as I'm concerned, only here and in France, I feel free to be who I really am, to bring out the mix of all the cultures that I have assimilated in my life. When I'm in London I protect myself more. I really love the UK, less that city: I go there just because there is my home". What value/importance has for someone like you who has lived a little everywhere, the word "home"? “Home means family. And in England live my sisters and my mom ... Who however always accompanies me when I come in Italy”. You have a terrific/great style, even in the way you dress. How did arise / was born your passion for fashion? “I don't love fashion and who considers the clothes a status. I rather love the style, because it tells a story: It says where we come from and where we want to go. The style transforms you, the fashion disguises you.It's an ancient passion, comes from my mother". Is she also an enthusiastic/passionate of it? “More. When we lived in Paris my mother had a workshop of clothes for children:I grew up among her friends of the haute couture and her friends seamstresses.when I was three, they dragged me to the fashion shows of Dior, a bore!”. You also have a wonderful collection of Louboutin shoes ... "This is a nice story. I suffered a lot of pain in the feet and my sister introduced me to Christian Louboutin.We became friends and he designed the sneakers that I wear, and that now everyone can buy. Mine are reinforced on the toes to allow me this movement, see? (he gets up on his toes and nothing, he didn’t even swayed a little, ed). Perfect for the concerts!". X Factor starts again in October. Can you tell us how you choose your outfits? "I work with the staff of Valentine. Fantastic/great people, with a great imagination/fantasy. And I believe that we all need fantasy. My clothes are unique couture pieces, I keep them in a storage of/in London". About X Factor, as you see the new team of judges? "I am happy to work with Skin, I like her a lot, but the greatest satisfaction is to find Elio again". Your opinion on the case Morgan? "We are all weak and Morgan is no exception. He is an interesting person exactly because of his limitations". Six concerts in Italy between June and September and the auditions of X Factor. And you're also writing a book ... "It's not really a book, I would describe it an intimate journal. It is made of/in chapters and it’s about different things: I talk about Syria, my grandfather, shopping at the supermarket... I like to write". Remains to me a curiosity. You who are the result of different cultures what do you think when you hear talk about racism? ( Mika's amused air/ expression gives way to/was replaced by a disconcerted expression, as he lifts the phone, ed) "The phone batteries I use in Milan and New York were built in Japan with minerals extracted in some African mine ... The barriers do not exist! About the migrants, it should be care of everyone of us to protect them. Because we were all immigrants and many of us will be (it/them) in the future. It is obvious, isn't it?And then I ask myself: what is the sense to still use the word racism?".

Here the second part: What value/importance has for someone like you who has lived a little everywhere, the word "home"? “Home means family. And in England live my sisters and my mom ... Who however always accompanies me when I come in Italy”. You have a terrific/great style, even in the way you dress. How did arise / was born your passion for fashion? “I don't love fashion and who considers the clothes a status. I rather love the style, because it tells a story: It says where we come from and where we want to go. The style transforms you, the fashion disguises you.It's an ancient passion, comes from my mother". Is she also an enthusiastic/passionate of it? “More. When we lived in Paris my mother had a workshop of clothes for children:I grew up among her friends of the haute couture and her friends seamstresses.when I was three, they dragged me to the fashion shows of Dior, a bore!”. You also have a wonderful collection of Louboutin shoes ... "This is a nice story. I suffered a lot of pain in the feet and my sister introduced me to Christian Louboutin.We became friends and he designed the sneakers that I wear, and that now everyone can buy. Mine are reinforced on the toes to allow me this movement, see? (he gets up on his toes and nothing, he didn’t even swayed a little, ed). Perfect for the concerts!". X Factor starts again in October. Can you tell us how you choose your outfits? "I work with the staff of Valentine. Fantastic/great people, with a great imagination/fantasy. And I believe that we all need fantasy. My clothes are unique couture pieces, I keep them in a storage of/in London". About X Factor, as you see the new team of judges? "I am happy to work with Skin, I like her a lot, but the greatest satisfaction is to find Elio again". Your opinion on the case Morgan? "We are all weak and Morgan is no exception. He is an interesting person exactly because of his limitations". Six concerts in Italy between June and September and the auditions of X Factor. And you're also writing a book ... "It's not really a book, I would describe it an intimate journal. It is made of/in chapters and it’s about different things: I talk about Syria, my grandfather, shopping at the supermarket... I like to write". Remains to me a curiosity. You who are the result of different cultures what do you think when you hear talk about racism? ( Mika's amused air/ expression gives way to/was replaced by a disconcerted expression, as he lifts the phone, ed) "The phone batteries I use in Milan and New York were built in Japan with minerals extracted in some African mine ... The barriers do not exist! About the migrants, it should be care of everyone of us to protect them. Because we were all immigrants and many of us will be (it/them) in the future. It is obvious, isn't it?And then I ask myself: what is the sense to still use the word racism?". My notes: "RICCHE DI X FACTOR" = I think here they are using a play on words: ricche is rich (Louboutin shoes), but in this context it means "full of X Factor" In italian "pazzesco" could be positive or dramatic or negative. It dipends on context. In this case it's used as an extreme positive, out of this world good.

Here the first part of the translation: MIKA PRESENTS THE NEW ALBUM WITH A PAIR OF SHOES FULL OF “X FACTOR”. BUT THE SINGER DOESN’T LOVE FASHION.THE STYLE, THAT, HOWEVER, YES.AND HIS (STYLE) IS AT HIGH RATE OF FANTASY. Louboutin sneakers keep me standing (In the third scan, next to the photo:) Mika (31 years old) was born in Beirut, Lebanon, from a Lebanese mother and an American father. He moved to Paris as a child, and then to London. In July he will be in concert in Taormina and Cattolica; in September he will sing in Milan, Rome and Florence. Mika says his fifth album (my edit: actually it’s the fourth) is the result of a moment of courage. It’s the answer to some questions that he did to himself for a long time. Like: will I ever find the courage/boldness to put into one song all the gay heroes of my adolescence? Yes, he has found it. Will I ever have the audacity to put my mark on each piece, to say what I think without worrying about the consequences? Yes, he had. For this he considers "No Place In Heaven", which will be released on June 15, the album of his maturity. “Before, I didn’t have total control of my creativity”, he explains, “now I feel more confident.This album is a private diary, adult but candid”. Nota bene: he lingers to search every word because in three months of work between London and New York, he has lost almost completely familiarity with the Italian. He is tired and jet-lagged, but has always that smile as a little boy who is afraid to have made some trouble (/ got into trouble or to have made mischief). A smile a la / à la (in the manner or style of ) Mika, if you know what I mean. You are a very ironic person, but your lyrics are serious. “I don’t lose my playful side. I use pop music, light (music), because the melody must be immediate. But a song without a text that addresses real arguments is like a perfume without the low notes: fragile. In my opinion, a song that does not talk of/about life becomes even a little pornographic.” How was born/ it originated the tribute to the gay heroes of "Good Guys" and that, moving/touching, to Freddie Mercury in "Last Party"? “All men that I quote, from Auden to Rimbaud, from Cocteau to Warhol, had an exceptional/ out of the ordinary talent. They have suffered because of their condition, but were not depressed or aggressive: they were for all of us a source of originality/newness and creativity” When Freddie Mercury died, you were 11 years old. What did you know about him? “I discovered Mercury later.I was on vacation studio in Granada, I didn't have bonded with my classmates. I found a tape (cassette) of his songs and I listened it to exhaustion, isolating myself. Of course from the academic point of view it was a disastrous trip, I had bad votes. But that music cassette changed my life”. In Italy by now you are/feels at home ... "The encounter with this country has been amazing. Everyone looks to the United States and England as places with a more open culture. As far as I'm concerned, only here and in France, I feel free to be who I really am, to bring out the mix of all the cultures that I have assimilated in my life. When I'm in London I protect myself more. I really love the UK, less that city: I go there just because there is my home". Tomorrow I'll post the second part.

Very nice interview, I liked it . I hope that it will be translated.

Thank you very much!!

I will do the translation of it as soon as possible.