Marta.

-Recently, you have become a friend of the singer Mika, a myth for young people. "He was here at my house last week, he is a very smart and cultured guy and we are working together: think to the fact that he asked me a copy of the book "Forgotten Callas" [a book written by Dario Fo and his wife, Franca Rame] for himself and another one for his mother, he is a very sweet person. " -But... who is the youngest? (Mika, real name Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr. is 31 years old). To this question Fo does not respond and simply laughs, suggesting: "Ehh I'd like to... (being the youngest) ... ."

He did it again during the last Daily!

Here the new songs of Mika team in the fifth live show. This time: two songs to sing and two eliminations (the former decided by the public, the latter decided by judges). The first song has to last only one minute and to come out from auditions or from previous live shows; the second song is new. Mario: E non andar più via (Lucio Dalla) Ragazzo Mio (Luigi Tenco) Emma: Pop porno (Il Genio) Un'estate fa' (italian version of " Une belle histoire" - Michel Fugain) This time, all italian songs.

fotogallery: http://xfactor.sky.it/2014/11/17/gallery-delle-assegnazioni-mika-4/#1

Daily17 during the choice of the new songs of this week...

Great show last night, in my opinion. I report to you part of an article of a blogger about the show. "A show full of content, beautiful songs, strong themes, debates, discussions, unexpected eliminations...This time they chose the leitmotif of respect for diversity, aversion to censorship and bullying in all its forms , resulting, finally, the episode thematically perhaps more effective and "high" in the history of X Factor Italy. " Much controversy about Morgan and his dramatic abandonment, the newspapers are full of articles about him...that man is magnetic, he is always able to take the attention over him. Many many criticism for Victoria Cabello, judged not suitable to play her role of judge, from every point of view. Fedez's job is quite appreciated and his team seems to be very loved by the public, but many claps also for Mika team. Mika is doing a great job, strong and sincere in his opinions and in his choices, in an edition of XF a bit strange and nervous, where the balances of previous years seem to have changed, perhaps for ever. Bravo Mika!

Studio rehearsals...

Here all the songs of the fourth show... Vittoria Ilaria ---> I'm on fire (Bruce Springsteen) Vivian ---> Like a prayer (Madonna) Mika Mario ---> Sugar man (Rodriguez) Emma ---> Strange Fruit (Billie Holiday) Morgan Komminuet---> Je t'aime moi non plus (Serge Gainsbourg) Spritz for Five ---> Il gioco del cavallo a dondolo (Roberto De Simone) Fedez Riccardo ---> Perfect day (Lou Reed) Lorenzo ---> Un Blasfemo(dietro ogni blasfemo c'è un giardino incantato) (Fabrizio De Andrè) Leiner ---> Canzone Per Gli Artisti (Punx Crew) Madh ---> Same love (Macklemore)

Daily 12 Dailymotion http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x29uabm_x-factor-8-daily-12-2014-sky-uno_fun

Great Mika!!! Beautiful songs!!!! :clap::clap::clap: Brave, intense, emotional choices. Mario said that Mika, with just a word, can describe an entire world.

Here the fotogallery of Daily 12 http://xfactor.sky.it/2014/11/10/gallery-delle-assegnazioni-mika-3/

Mika at work...

From the next Daily

The fourth Live # XF8: Be tolerant! X Factor chose an important theme for the next live show: tolerance. #XF8 is opposed to discrimination and bullying. The songs assigned by the judges to the competitors, will be songs that have been censored or deal with controversial topics or messages related to freedom of expression through music, embracing several decades, styles and genres. http://xfactor.sky.it/2014/11/10/live-xf8-be-tolerant/

I agree with you. This last show, with only dance songs, forced the under teams to go out of their comfort zones... and many problems are starting to come out. Groups and over team have made better performances, perhaps because their judges started to put them in troubles from the beginning... and now they are more used to overcome obstacles. And vocally, they are are more interesting. Perhaps, the only exception is Madh. Obviously, it is only my opinion....

Interesting show last night. The theme was dance music, and some contestants were not at ease with that kind of songs. Very well Morgan groups, many claps for him and for them. The old lion has roared again last night. Many claps even for Mika's team. Emma was very good, elegant and original, and Mario has managed to do a nice performance using a bit of irony, even if dance music is not a part of his world. Mika has pointed out Mario's mistakes at the beginning of the song, in a very honest way, in front of everyone. Mika told the truth, without any fear. I loved him. Some problems for Fedez guys. Madh and Leiner have been able to manage the stage quite well, but Riccardo was a bit boring. Lorenzo has been very criticized, vocally quite imprecise and without a personal style on the stage. Not very well even for Vicky girls . Ilaria, for the first time out of her "comfort zone" was not at ease. Camilla and Vivian very insecure and inaccurate. After the last fight between Vivian and Camilla, Camilla is out. During XtraFactor a long discussion between Fedez and Vicky after the elimination of Camilla. Victoria tried to save her during the show, arguing that she was a real artist, too constrained within the rules of the show and that she needed more time to express herself....but all the public (in the studio and at home) preferred Vivian. Here a few sentences: Fedez (to Vicky) "Victim. You make the victim. You're crying for half an hour. Stop. " "Do you realize that you've just said that you wanted to save a person (Camilla) that was not appropriate for this program? .... " "You're making inconsistent and senseless statements . If she was not right for the show...why did you want to save her? You said bull****. " Vicky (to Fedez) Shut up! The wise and patient Mika tried to bring peace between them, but there was nothing to do.

I liked very much the last two Dailys. Mika has given a great image of himself... positive, confident and determined... personally involved in the job with his competitors and in the arrangement of their songs. He had very clear ideas in his head, and gave to Emma and Mario accurate instructions to follow. Mario does not speak English very well, but Mika has demanded him an improvement in his pronunciation and more precision with notes. Emma wanted to lower the tone of the song, but Mika answered a definite no. Now, I do not know what the truth is, how much time he has really spent with them ... but what the public can see in these moments, is a good musician at work, in a calm, creative and professional atmosphere. Emma and Mario have two beautiful songs, this evening they can make very good performances.

It was a joke. I remember that Victoria said that the gay community would be happy to see all those dancers with bare chest ... and Mika replied that not only the gay community would be happy for that performance....

Concentrated...

Morgan, over these years, has always done original and little crazy choices. The point is that his competitors, have not always been able to follow him in his artistic flights. But if you are in his team and you can't follow him....well, it's the end for you. This year, in my opinion, Morgan's groups are not able to do that. I remember XF3, five years ago, one of most interesting edition of XF Italy, the year of the victory of Marco Mengoni, now a popular and much-loved artist in Italy. Morgan "forced" Marco to sing everything: classic songs, acid songs, pop, rock, soul ..and he had to sing in every condition: with the skates on his feet, hanging from the ceiling on an high swing, playing the role of a serial killer, between two dancers almost naked over him, into complicated choreographies, in pieces of musicals .. they discussed and argued over everything, continuously... Marco cried a lot, Morgan screamed a lot, even on the stage in front to the public...but Marco has always been able to do everything, without any fear of taking those huge risks... and the public was at his feet. It is not impossible to follow Morgan's mad genius, he won XF many times...Mengoni has not been the only one to do things like that. In my opinion this year the groups are not able enough, they have fear, they don't have "personality", this is the truth.

Morgan is still angry against Mika, because he told the truth during the last show about the bad performances of Morgan's groups.... Anyway, in a few minutes tens of messages of Mika fans have reminded to Morgan the performance of Mika in The Voice France ... And these are the new songs of Morgan's team. Spritz for five: A Fifth of Beethoven di Walter Murphy Komminuet: Emerge di Fischerspooner Their faces looked a bit terrified...good luck guys!!

Reading the comments on social networks, there have been some criticisms to Mika for the choice of Mario's song, a too "sophisticated" song, too difficult to sing for him (Mario sings very well, but he is not a "virtuous" ). But from Mika's words, I understand that he wants to present Mario as a real artist, able to adapt all the songs to him, and to propose to him varied and interesting songs, and not only the songs he likes ore those he already knows, even if this involves risks. This seems the point to me: taking risks or not. Fedez and Vicky, until now, prefer to play safe, assigning good songs but always quite close to the musical world of competitors. Mika and Morgan have been the only ones to take some risks, to try to offer to the public something different. And it is this attitude of mind, this bit of madness that makes XF Italy, in my opinion, still a quite interesting show to watch.

Here you can find Daily n°5, with studio rehearsals before the show. Mika at the minute 12:40 http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2916ao_x-factor-8-daily-5-2014-sky-uno-hd_fun And here what Mika says to Mario and Emma. first rehearsal in studio with Mario (Mika introduce Mario to Mel) This is Mario! (to Mario) Mario, I'm curious to listen to you, can we start ?? ...(after the rehearsal) Mario, this is an imprecise performance ... the song is very difficult, but I want to hear the change of voice in all of these points (he sings) ...it is a technical matter ... (to the camera) I can speak with Mario in a very technical way, when he thinks in a technical way, I don't know why, but he gets even more credible ... (to Mario) when I say to you that I want something of simple or straight, it does not mean that I don't want power or energy ... please, you have to use a little more vibrato .. [Mario says that the song is very difficoult, but with Mika's advices he can do a good job] last rehearsal in studio with Mario (after the rehearsal to Mario)Yes!!! Please, you have to start over again from here, from this last performance rehearsal in studio with Emma (to the camera) accuracy, is not a strong point for Emma, because she is very interpretive ... (to Emma) Emma, I love how you're singing, but please: (he sings some notes to explain to Emma the right way to sing them ) ... please you have to be precise with the melody ... the melody has so many movements everywhere...with the accuracy, we can be more clear... [Emma says that the song is difficult, and vocally she's doing things that she has never done before] ... Emma, you have to concentrate, do not waste all these energies everywhere ... (to the camera), the way is right for both of them...we have to give the idea that they can reach the final

Morgan was very very angry last night, and when he is in that condition he does not listen to anyone, it is better to let him talk...or...ehm..scream However, in general, I have noticed the same thing of you... Mika speaks Italian better and better in every shows (it's awesome, I assure all of you!) but he still needs a little more time to comment than the others. It 's normal. And this extra-time is not always given to him, especially when the discussion becomes hot and everyone starts to get excited Sometimes, someone speaks over him, and it is Mika to ask time to answer, explicitly :" you're talking too fast, I don't understand!". I think he will have to take his time with the force:purse: :naughty: However, i liked so much the episode last night, and Mika, once again, was great. Serious, professional, powerful, direct. Very good.

A little quick summary of what Mika says during Daily n.3 with Mario Mariooo! Come here, directly into the mouth of the wolf, ahhag!... I want you to sing in Italian again, but without redoing anything like what we've done last week. This is a song of 2010, that is already a classic ... what I like about this song is that there are all these points and ranges going up and down ... I want you to use an open voice ... this is a musical and tecnical challenge, a challenge of the melody and not of the words...(to the camera) he can really become a "racconteur" he can transform himself into other people... When Mario goes out of the room, Alessandro Raina tells Mika that Mario really miss his girlfriend, who is studying in Spain ... Mario does not have physical contact with her for 15 days and he can't resist anymore ... Mika seems to understand the situation very well "ohhh" with Emma Emmaaa! Aghhh! (doing the wolf again) I wanted to find a song important to me ... this is one of the most beautiful songs of the American pop ... I want to continue with pop also this week ...this is a pop song, but also with a bit of jazz, of blues, a bit of everything ... you know Bonnie Raitt? No? listen to this song ... the words are very simple but they say everything..there is everything you want in this song... melodically, it is a real beauty, with all those borders ... and never "cheesy" [i'm not sure, the word is in english]...(to the camera) tecnically and musically there is so much work to do ... and this is the job I like the most..i like to get my hands dirty ... Alessandro Raina greets Emma and says: "now you can not say anymore "into the mouth of the wolf" but "into the mouth of the Mika" .. and then "Let die the Mika !!" (instead of "Let die the wolf") As you have already red before, "Into the mouth of the wolf! Let die the wolf!" is a way of saying to say "goog luck"