~Wicky~ Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 (edited) Mika in Veronica Magazine! I'll try to translate it as soon as possible; don't expect wonderfull, grammatical correct sentences Edit: Translation... Mika gives life colour Party animal Michael Holbrook Penniman, known as Mika, has again made a good party album. We speak the artist in London; to celebrate the release of The Boy Who Knew Too Much. You made a super happy album again. Are you so überhappy too? "Ha, no, with my music I try to make life just bearable. I myself am more someone who sees everything black and white. I'm either happy or not at all. This dark and light, I try to do a bit together." So you try to escape the everyday reality? "Escape is a dirty word. If you try to escape you feel guilty afterwards or you have a huge hangover. I try a better version of reality creation. Walking away from it is not possible." You always said you’re a big fan of fairy tales. Aren’t you outgrown it? "No, I still think fairy tales are great stories. Because they tell universal stories about life, in a naive and innocent way. While they are still heavy on many matters. That is the way how I write pop songs." What would psychiatrist Sigmund Freud think about your songs? He thinks ‘Little Red Riding’ is about sex. "Ha, I think it is better if my texts aren’t analyzed by him. I think I would die if I heard the results. I think he will say, that I need professional help, haha." Well let’s dig into your childhood. How was your childhood? "I was a bit naughty. Very loud and smart, because I knew exactly how I had to thaw/relax people (?). As a teenager I was more on my own and I didn’t dare to express myself. But therefore I learned to express my feelings in my music. It is easier to sing about your grievances, and everyone sings along with you. Then telling the truth and get a slap in the face for it!" Did you recently insult someone with your songs? "On my new album is a song called ‘Rain’. First it was a break-up letter. It seemed fun to put a nice dance beat under it, haha. I haven’t received response yet, no. That is still down!" You grew up in a warm half-Lebanese family. Would your music sound different if you didn’t grown up in that family and culture? "I think it helped. Probably my music would sound different. I do talk with my family. I hardly talk, with people I don’t know... I’m scared of that." On stage you’re mister funny pants. Aren’t you scared then? "The funny thing is, if you put me in a room with people, I always end up alone in a corner. It always happens. For this reason, I hate huge parties, they are literally making me sick. I can’t wait till the party is over, I hate every minute of it. I don’t have the confidence to say anything. When I say something, it sounds silly. But if you drop me on a stage, I just get it. The stage is a kind of boxing ring for me. After the show, I can’t remember what I yelled on stage." Your whole life you’re collecting cartoons. Why do you like cartoons? "I love cartoons. I love the different characters. Previously, the characters were even imaginary friends of mine. My mother is a dressmaker and as a child I went to her with a strip of Tintin and asked her to make such a suit as Tintin wears. I hardly spent money, only on art: original covers and other framed comic characters. Some of them are in storage, because they are too expensive to hang on the wall." If you weren’t a successful musician, what would you be? "Then I was in prison by now. My mother always said: You end up either in jail or you become famous, haha. When I was little, I often stole things. But they never caught me, I was a very good thief. A little time ago I stole something, by the way. I was at a gas station and there was a lifestyle magazine about dogs and stuff, with a bag of dog food stuck on the cover. I secretly took the bag with me. I wanted to give it to Adele, she is a friend and she has a weenie dog, a dachshund. But she did not want them to have when she heard that I had nicked it!" Big Girl is a kind of anthem for corpulent women. For whom did you write that song? "For my aunts and my mother, because they are all fat, haha. I saw a documentary once about ‘The Butterfly Lounge’, a club for fat women, and I thought: lets write a song about beautiful fat women, and in special for my mum and aunts. I wished they would like it and wouldn't feel insulted by the song. They loved it. When the creators of ‘Ugly Betty’ wanted to use the song, I tried to create ‘Big Betty, You Are Beautiful’, but I wasn’t allowed to do that, haha." You did a splendid show in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, a while ago. Can we expect such performances again? "The problem with acoustic shows is, that I lose a lot of money with it. In order to break even, I should triple the price. Now I understand why classical musicians should be sponsored, it costs a lot of money to act that way. But it's a incredibly fun thing to do occasionally. I made a promise to myself: the rest of my career I will always do a mix of large shows for everyone and smaller shows for all the true fans. I think that's very important." Mika's Choice Motto: Kill your heroes before they kill you. That is so true. Best present ever received: A Fiat 500. Though I can not drive. I still call a taxi ... Most beautiful book: ‘The Confidential Agent by Graham Greene’. Written in six weeks, thanks benzadrine, a kind of speed. Proud of: My homemade mustard sauce. Maybe I can give the recipe as a present with my CDs in the future, nice for the fans! Most expensive item of clothing: A pair of Louboutin shoes, specially made for me. They are worth around 10,000 euros. Ridiculous, but if it's free, I won’t say no! Edited October 13, 2009 by ~Wicky~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindemfc Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 hahaa, great! thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnaMariaPetra Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 T4P! So now I have to find a friend who read Veronica mag. Yesterday my friend gave me the Algemeen Dagblad with the Mika-interview. (Maybe she also has Veronica mag!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnaMariaPetra Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Haha: home made mustersauce by Mika: yammie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Droopsy Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Haha, I hope those people who were complaining on the internet about the stealing last time won't read this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnaMariaPetra Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Haha, I hope those people who were complaining on the internet about the stealing last time won't read this They probably will! And he says he still does it.....you stupid boy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Droopsy Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 They probably will! And he says he still does it.....you stupid boy! Idd!! And then he gives it away! Omg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mika_Addiction Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Lol, great interview. Mika's mostersaus, yum. And stealing magazines for adele? Nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kodes100 Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Thank you for posting this article ~Wicky~! You translation will be much appreciated even more so if you are not sure of yourself. I can't wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Wicky~ Posted October 13, 2009 Author Share Posted October 13, 2009 (edited) Idd!! And then he gives it away! Omg I want to have those dog cookies; I'll give them to my own weenie dog! Edited October 13, 2009 by ~Wicky~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gracekelly85 Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 T4P! and thanks for tranlating the 1st part Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DANI56 Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Mika in Veronica Magazine! I'll try to translate it as soon as possible; don't expect wonderfull, grammatical correct sentences thank you, Wichy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEMI94 Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Aaah my friend got Veronica Magazine, i thought Nice intervieuw by the way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kriszti Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 funny interview, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IngievV Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 "Yah I have millions on my bank account! You know what I'm gonna do....STEAL DOGCOOKIES MWAHAHAHAHAHA" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mari62 Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 T4P!! Interesting and hilarious!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inbar_assaf Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 "Yah I have millions on my bank account! You know what I'm gonna do....STEAL DOGCOOKIES MWAHAHAHAHAHA" we wont expect any less from the Mika... T4P! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise_xx Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 niceee, I'll buy it tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patricia4u Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 oh boy , i got to control myself tomorrow because i'll have alot of these magazines in my hands tomorrow.(i deliver mail) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xlindee Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Lol. The way they wrote it:aah: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikalollipop_karla Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 thx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marlau_20zr Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 thanks for posting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markie Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Thanks much! Markus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kodes100 Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 ~Wicky~ thank you so much for posting & translating. I really like the article. This time around we are learning so much about Mika. I really like how much he is speaking about his process of creating his music & his art. It is so interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAK1 Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 He wouldn't be the first person to swipe the freebies off the front of magazines, and won't be the last! Although admitting it in an interview, won't do him any favours! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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