Dutch: Mika king of kitsch

[Droopsy]

Koning van de kitsch

 

Door STEFAN RAATGEVER

Zijn retro-glamrock domineert elk radiostation en zijn laatste single en album piekten afgelopen week op de eerste plaats. Hoe voormalig schoolplein-sukkel Mika de ster van 2007 werd.

 

Over twee uur is hij jarig, maar voor zijn 24ste heeft Mika geen groots feest gepland.

Hij vliegt ’s nachts van Nederland naar Engeland om daar op te treden. Een dag als alle andere het afgelopen jaar, legt hij uit.

 

Zijn enige uitspatting: zijn mini-glas dure champagne op tafel. Niet voor z’n verjaardag, maar vanwege de gouden status van zijn album Life in cartoon motion. En, ook niet onbelangrijk, omdat die plaat, net als single Relax, de eerste plaats van de Nederlandse hitlijsten heeft bereikt. Kortom: Mika is ineens een wereldster, die net festival Lowlands heeft platgespeeld.

 

Toch houdt Mika - boomlang, tikje slungelig, glanzende krullen en trouwe hondenogen - het bij het vingerhoedje bubbels én een schaaltje rauwe groente. ,,Ondanks al het commerciële succes heb ik nog steeds de nerveuze, controlerende energie van vroeger.’’

 

Gek genoeg ligt ‘vroeger’ in dit geval maar één jaar achter hem. Zijn doorbraak als de man die ons leerde dat kitscherige popmuziek pretentieloos leuk mag zijn én en passant de glamrock in de uiterst theatrale stijl van Elton John, Queen en ook T-Rex weer hip maakte, volgde toen er in 2006 na talloze afwijzingen eindelijk een platenmaatschappij bereid bleek zijn liedjes uit te brengen.

 

,,Dit was het gekste en geweldigste jaar uit m’n leven,’’ blikt Mika terug. ,,Moeilijk ook. Het verbaast me hoe goed ik me heb gehouden. Succes of slechte recensies brachten me niet uit evenwicht. Ik ben trouw aan mezelf en daar ben ik trots op. Wat er wel is veranderd? Niets is meer onmogelijk. We werken nu aan mijn nieuwe show: ineens kan ik mensen betalen om te repeteren. Heel lang heb ik verlies op mijn concerten gemaakt. Nu denk ik aan bewegende mega-poppen op het podium en metershoge opblaasfiguren als decor. M’n hele leven vond iedereen me een vreemde dromer. Maar ik heb mijn dromen waargemaakt.’’

 

Die plannen kregen vorm op de diverse middelbare scholen waarop Mika, in Libanon geboren als kind van een Libanese/Amerikaanse moeder en een Amerikaanse diplomatenvader, terecht kwam. Zijn populariteit nu contrasteert heftig met zijn pre-puberjaren. Mika was de paria van het schoolplein.

 

,,Ik was een uniek kind met een sterke persoonlijkheid én kledingsmaak,’’ analyseert hij zelf. ,,Rode broeken en vlinderdasjes, daar hield ik van. Heel enthousiast, een vrije geest. Maar die houding werd snel uit me geslagen. Ik werd enorm gepest. Ook met m’n leraren had ik, zwaar dyslectisch als ik was, grote problemen. Ik verloor elke vorm van zelfvertrouwen. Stil en bang werd ik. Durfde niets anders meer aan dan spijkerbroeken.’’

 

Mika raakte zelfs enige tijd het vermogen te schrijven en te lezen kwijt. Hij sloot zich op in z’n kamer en werkte aan zijn muziek, die jarenlang niemand wilde horen. ,,Toch hield ik altijd vertrouwen dat ik het zou halen,’’ zegt hij. ,,In het geheim werken gaf me juist kracht. Eigenlijk voel ik me nog steeds zo: een beetje ik tegen de rest. Ik pas nu eenmaal niet precies in de hype. Bij mijn concerten tref je geen beroemdheden voor wie het goed is daar gezien te worden. Ik ben geen paparazzi-favoriet, niet flashy of glamoureus. Juist heel discreet: ik praat nooit over mijn privé-leven.’’

 

Daarom blijft Mika zwijgen tijdens de voortdurende discussie in de media over zijn seksualiteit. ,,Om te overleven moet je sommige zaken voor je zelf houden. Het doet gewoon niet terzake,’’ vindt hij. ,,Wat ik doe in mijn vrije tijd? Die breng ik door met familie en vrienden. Net als iedereen. Mijn enige extravagantie is het fortuin dat ik uitgeef aan de inrichting van mijn flat, die met één slaapkamer ook redelijk eenvoudig is. Saai? Misschien. Vroeger kende ik heus wel uitspattingen: zong ik, als we kroeg waren uitgezet, met m’n vrienden op straat liedjes tot de zon op kwam. Misschien nog wel, maar ik vertel het niemand meer. Misschien saai, maar ik moet keuzes maken.’’

 

Over waar Mika precies voor vreest als zijn privé-leven naar buiten komt, blijft hij vaag. Hij wil zaken zuiver houden, herhaalt hij slechts. ,,Veel artiesten vernietigen zichzelf door zich te verliezen in randzaken. Gebeurt mij niet. Ik denk groter; een carrière heeft een solide basis nodig, die leg ik nu. M’n hele leven noemt iedereen me al een eendagsvlieg, maar ik garandeer je: binnen 20 jaar ben ik er nog steeds.â€

http://www.ad.nl/cultuurenshow/article1630693.ece

[Becky]

Anyone want to traslate?

[vanessa]

What ?

[AnnaMariaPetra]

By Stefan Raatgever

His retro-glamrock dominates every radio-station and his last single and album were both number one in the charts last week. How the formar schoolyard-geek became the star of 2007.

 

Within two hours is his birthday but Mika didn't plan a great party for his 24th anniversary.He is flying from The Netherlands to England at night to perform there. A day like all others in the last year he explains.

 

His only dissipation is a mini-glass of champagne on the table. Not for his birthday but to celebrate that his record Life in Cartoon Motion has a golden status. And, not unimportant, because that record is, just like his single Relax, on the number one position in the Dutch charts. To be short: Mika is, at once, a world-star, who just made a great impression at festival Lowlands.

 

But still Mika -threetall, little bit lubberly, shining curls and faithfull doggy-eyes, doesn't drink more than a thimble and eats a little dish with raw vegetables. "In spite of the commercial succes I still have the nervous energy that I used to have in the old days".

 

Strangely enough "the old days" is in fact only one year earlier. His huge breakthrou as the man who teached us that kitchy popmusic can be fun without pretences and en passant made glamrock, in the theatrical style of Elton John, Queen en also T-Rex hip again, followed when in 2006 after a lot of recordcompagnies turned him down, there was one recordlable prepared to release his songs.

 

"This was the most crazy and wonderful year of my life." says Mika. "Difficult too. It surprises how me good I kept on to myself. Succes or bad reviews didn't bring me out of balance. I am loyal to myself and I'm proud of that. What did change? Nothing is impossible anymore. We are working on my new show at the moment: suddenly I can pay people to rehearse. For a very long time I was losing money while making concerts. Now I'm thinking of mega-dolls on the stage and metershigh blow-up-figures for decor. All my life everyone thought of me as a stranger dreamer. But I have made my dreams come true."

 

That plans were created at the schools at which Mika, born in Lebanon as a child of a Lebanees/American mother and an American diplomat-father, studied. His popularity nowadays is in big contrast with his pre-teenyears. Mika was the paria of the schoolyard.

 

"I was a unique child wit a strong personality and taste of clothing," he analysis himself. "Red trousers and bowties, I loved that. Very enthousiastic, a free spirit. But that attidude was beaten out of me very quickly. I was hugely bullied. Even with my teachers I had, dyslectic as I was, big problems. I lost all forms of selfrespect. I became quiet and frightned. Didn't have the guts to wear anything else than jeans."

 

Mika even lost, temporarily, the ability to write and read. He locked himself in his room and worked on his music, music that nobody wanted to hear for years. "Still I had faith that I would make it." he says. "Working in secret gave me strenght. Actually I feel the still the same nowadays: a little bit against the rest of the world. I just don't fit into the hype. At my concerts you don't see celebraties who are there just to be seen. I am not a favourite for the paparazzi, I'm not flashy or glamourous. Actually discrete: I never talk about my private life."

 

That's why Mika is still silent while the discussion about his sexuality goes on in the media. "To survive you need to keep certain matters private. It just doesn't matter." he says. "What do I do in my spare time? I'll be with friends and family, just like anyone else. My only extravagance is spending money to decorate my appartement, which is with one bedroom quite simple. Boring? Maybe. Earlier I did have dissipations: I sang, when we were thrown out of a pub, with my friends I sang songs on the street till the sun came up. Maybe I still do, but I don't tell anyone anymore. Maybe boring, but I have to make choices.

 

What Mika fears, what will happen when his private-life comes out, he remains a question. He wants to keep things pure. That's what he repeats all the time. "A lot of artists destroy themselves by losing themselving in borderline-stuff. That won't happen to me. I think big: a carriere needs a solid base, I making one now. All my life people are calling me a one-day-fly. but I garantuee you: In 20 years time I will still be here.!"

 

(I hope my english is understandable! )

[backflip_76]

Thanks for the article and the translation!!

[Becky]

Thanks Anna

[vanessa]

Thanks for the translation !

[celesteee]

Daar stond dus echt zon keigrote mika poster in in de ad! hoe stoer, bijna op a3!

[Milou]

Ik las t net ja Ik flipte bijna toen ik dat artikel zag. Echt vet groot! Joepie!

[Laura..××]

Whoop!! That's a good article for once !!

Thanks for posting it !!

 

AD rules !

[martine]

Whoop!! That's an good article for once !!

Thanks for posting it !!

 

AD rules !

 

I didn' t like the title, but the article is really good, yes!

[Cassiopée]

Thanks for posting and even more for the translation!

[lazy_daisy]

By Stefan Raatgever

His retro-glamrock dominates every radio-station and his last single and album were both number one in the charts last week. How the formar schoolyard-geek became the star of 2007.

 

Within two hours is his birthday but Mika didn't plan a great party for his 24th anniversary.He is flying from The Netherlands to England at night to perform there. A day like all others in the last year he explains.

 

His only dissipation is a mini-glass of champagne on the table. Not for his birthday but to celebrate that his record Life in Cartoon Motion has a golden status. And, not unimportant, because that record is, just like his single Relax, on the number one position in the Dutch charts. To be short: Mika is, at once, a world-star, who just made a great impression at festival Lowlands.

 

But still Mika -threetall, little bit lubberly, shining curls and faithfull doggy-eyes, doesn't drink more than a thimble and eats a little dish with raw vegetables. "In spite of the commercial succes I still have the nervous energy that I used to have in the old days".

 

Strangely enough "the old days" is in fact only one year earlier. His huge breakthrou as the man who teached us that kitchy popmusic can be fun without pretences and en passant made glamrock, in the theatrical style of Elton John, Queen en also T-Rex hip again, followed when in 2006 after a lot of recordcompagnies turned him down, there was one recordlable prepared to release his songs.

 

"This was the most crazy and wonderful year of my life." says Mika. "Difficult too. It surprises how me good I kept on to myself. Succes or bad reviews didn't bring me out of balance. I am loyal to myself and I'm proud of that. What did change? Nothing is impossible anymore. We are working on my new show at the moment: suddenly I can pay people to rehearse. For a very long time I was losing money while making concerts. Now I'm thinking of mega-dolls on the stage and metershigh blow-up-figures for decor. All my life everyone thought of me as a stranger dreamer. But I have made my dreams come true."

 

That plans were created at the schools at which Mika, born in Lebanon as a child of a Lebanees/American mother and an American diplomat-father, studied. His popularity nowadays is in big contrast with his pre-teenyears. Mika was the paria of the schoolyard.

 

"I was a unique child wit a strong personality and taste of clothing," he analysis himself. "Red trousers and bowties, I loved that. Very enthousiastic, a free spirit. But that attidude was beaten out of me very quickly. I was hugely bullied. Even with my teachers I had, dyslectic as I was, big problems. I lost all forms of selfrespect. I became quiet and frightned. Didn't have the guts to wear anything else than jeans."

 

Mika even lost, temporarily, the ability to write and read. He locked himself in his room and worked on his music, music that nobody wanted to hear for years. "Still I had faith that I would make it." he says. "Working in secret gave me strenght. Actually I feel the still the same nowadays: a little bit against the rest of the world. I just don't fit into the hype. At my concerts you don't see celebraties who are there just to be seen. I am not a favourite for the paparazzi, I'm not flashy or glamourous. Actually discrete: I never talk about my private life."

 

That's why Mika is still silent while the discussion about his sexuality goes on in the media. "To survive you need to keep certain matters private. It just doesn't matter." he says. "What do I do in my spare time? I'll be with friends and family, just like anyone else. My only extravagance is spending money to decorate my appartement, which is with one bedroom quite simple. Boring? Maybe. Earlier I did have dissipations: I sang, when we were thrown out of a pub, with my friends I sang songs on the street till the sun came up. Maybe I still do, but I don't tell anyone anymore. Maybe boring, but I have to make choices.

 

What Mika fears, what will happen when his private-life comes out, he remains a question. He wants to keep things pure. That's what he repeats all the time. "A lot of artists destroy themselves by losing themselving in borderline-stuff. That won't happen to me. I think big: a carriere needs a solid base, I making one now. All my life people are calling me a one-day-fly. but I garantuee you: In 20 years time I will still be here.!"

 

(I hope my english is understandable! )

 

Thanks for the tanslation!

Oh, I LOVE MIKAAA! He knows perfectly well what he is doing here and where he wants to go. I admire him and I really think he'll still be here in 20 years time. AND I'LL STILL BE HIS FAITHFUL FAN, OF COURSE! Thanks for translating, Anna, I enjoyed the article.

[Pamette]

Thank you for posting and for your translation (don't worry! You made a great job!)

[Kriszti]

thanks for posting

[Mika_forever]

Thanks for posting and translating:thumb_yello:

[my_rainbow_radio]

 

"All my life everyone thought of me as a stranger dreamer. But I have made my dreams come true."

 

"I was a unique child wit a strong personality and taste of clothing," he analysis himself. "Red trousers and bowties, I loved that. Very enthousiastic, a free spirit. But that attidude was beaten out of me very quickly. I was hugely bullied. Even with my teachers I had, dyslectic as I was, big problems. I lost all forms of selfrespect. I became quiet and frightned. Didn't have the guts to wear anything else than jeans."

 

"Mika even lost, temporarily, the ability to write and read. He locked himself in his room and worked on his music, music that nobody wanted to hear for years."

 

These parts really hit me, especially the first and second one. I truly do respect him for becoming what he has. The parts in bold got me all choked up, seriously.

I'm so emotional LOL

[rockinbabzz]

I think big: a carriere needs a solid base, I making one now. All my life people are calling me a one-day-fly. but I garantuee you: In 20 years time I will still be here.!"

 

 

i SO hope this is true. sometimes i keep awake at night worrieng about what will happen to him in the future

[Blue]

Daar stond dus echt zon keigrote mika poster in in de ad! hoe stoer, bijna op a3!

Stond dit in het AD van zaterdag of in de zondageditie (bestaat die?). Ik zie zondag 2 september boven het artikel staan nl.

[Milou]

volgens mij bestaat er geen zondageditie. Hij is van vandaag volgens mij.. 3 september. Anders was ie zowieso wel eerder gepost.

 

Can you imagine him being 44 and still performing in those tight jeans? Lol. I'd be 36.. and would have children and be married probably. God, looking in the future can be fun!

[Blue]

Can you imagine him being 44 and still performing in those tight jeans?

:naughty:

[sweet]

nice article!!! =)

 

thanks for posting e translating it!!!!

[Queenie]

Thanks for the translation!!!