Mika in SZ Extra - "Hymns to the vocal break" - 25/03/10

[MissPie]

German Süddeutsche Zeitung seems to like our boy

 

Typed up the German article and put it into Google translate - will correct bad mistakes later.

 

The picture they used was a known promo shot from last year.

 

 

Hymnen an den Stimmbruch

 

Ewiger Goldjunge: Wie aus einem schüchternen Sängerknaben der Londoner Songwriter und Popstar Mika wurde

 

Entgegen der phantasiereichen Kindheit gilt die Pubertät eher als Auslöser von Krisen denn von Kreativität. Zu Unrecht, wie unzählige Leserinnen-Gedichte in Jugendzeitschriften belegen - und ebenso das Beispiel des Michael Holbrook Penniman. Mit einer Lese-Rechtschreib-Schwäche belastet und von den Eltern - einer Libanesin und einem US-Amerikaner - aus dem Bürgerkriegs-Beirut über Paris nach London verfrachtet, entwickelte sich der Bub erstaunlich prächtig. Jedenfalls musikalisch: Als Elfjähriger trumpfte er in bunten Liederabenden auf und sang gar in der Richard-Strauss-Oper "Die Frau ohne Schatten" im Royal-Opera-House. Dann kam die Pubertät. Was nun würde der Stimmbruch mit dem schüchternen Kind, das nur auf der Bühne aufblühte, anrichten? "Es war dramatisch", sagt Mika heute, "meine Zeit als vielbeschäftigter Chorknabe war plötzlich vorbei. Da wurde ich besessen davon, selber Lieder zu schreiben. Ich wusste: Selbst wenn ich nie wieder singen kann, kann ich wenigstens noch komponieren."

So wurde aus dem kleinen Mika Mika der Große: Seine glitzernden Songs "Relax. Take It Easy" und "Grace Kelly" und sein erstes Album verkauften sich zig Millionen Mal; die Stimme hat er sich zurück-erarbeitet und ausgebaut (er kann nun tirilieren wie ein Knabenchor und schmettern wie Freddie Mercury); seine Auftritte finden jetzt in Rock-Arenen statt. Zunächst glichen die Konzerte Kindergeburtstagen, es gab Luftballons, Konfetti und Tierkostüme - "Lolli-Pop", nannte man seine Musik. Mika findet sie heute "unschuldig". So ausgelassen seine Kindheit als Popstar war, so spannend ist nun die Pop-Pubertät des 26-Jährigen bei der zweiten CD "The Boy Who Knew Too Much": In der immer noch bunten Comic-Welt tun sich nun Abgründe auf, es gibt Regen ("Rain"), die Sexualität erwacht ("Blame It On The Girls"; "Toy Boy"), die Scham ringt mit dem Selbstbewusstsein. Pubertät ist hier die Kunst, die ein einfaches Leben kompliziert macht. Schön ist das im Video zu "Golden" zu sehen in dem Mika in Unterhose durch ein Jugendzimmer tobt: "Diese Person, die darum bettelt, sie zu mögen, die sich fragt, ob sie hässlich oder attraktiv ist, die bin ich als Teenager. und so fühle ich mich immer noch. Ich glaube, wir sind Teenager, bis wir sterben."

 

MICHAEL ZIRNSTEIN

 

Mika, Sa., 27. März, 20 Uhr, Zenith

 

 

 

Hymns to the vocal break

 

Eternal Golden Boy: How a shy boy became the London singer songwriter and pop star Mika

 

Contrary to the fanciful childhood, puberty is more said to trigger crises than creativity. Wrongly, as evidenced by countless readers-poetry in youth magazines - and also the example of Michael Holbrook Penniman. Charged with dyslexia and brought by his parents - one Lebanese and one American - from the Civil War and Beirut to London via Paris, the boy developed amazingly well. In any event, musically: As a boy of eleven, he trumped up in colorful song recitals and even sang in the Richard Strauss opera "Die Frau ohne Schatten" in the Royal Opera House. Then came puberty. Now what would be the vocal break do with the shy child who only thrived on stage? "It was dramatic," Mika says today, "my busy time as a choir boy was suddenly gone. Then I became obsessed with writing songs myself. I knew that even if I could never sing again, at least I could still compose. "

Thus a small Mika became Mika the Great: His glittering songs "Relax. Take It Easy" and "Grace Kelly" and his first album sold millions of times, and the voice he has drawn back and expanded (he can warble now like a boy's choir and blare like Freddie Mercury), his performances now take place in rock arenas. First, the concerts were like children's birthdays, there were balloons, confetti, animal costumes - his music got called "Lolli-Pop". Mika today sees it as "innocent". And as playful his childhood as a popstar was, as exciting is the Pop-puberty of the 26-year-old in his second CD, "The Boy Who Knew Too Much": In the still colourful comic world, there are now precipices, there is rain ("Rain"), sexuality awakens ( "Blame It On The Girls", "Toy Boy"), the shame is struggling with self-confidence. Puberty is the art which makes a simple life complicated. You can see it good in the video for "Golden", in which Mika is raging through a teenager room in his underpants. "This person that begs to be liked, that asks if they are ugly or attractive, is me as a teenager. And I still feel the same. I think we are teenagers until we die."

 

MICHAEL ZIRNSTEIN

 

Mika, Sat, 27 March, 8 pm, Zenith

 

 

(Love how they referred to him as a whole choir )

[FREDDIESDOUBLE]

Interesting .. teenagers until we die

 

A powerful line , thanks for posting:thumb_yello:

[sparkly1]

Interesting .. teenagers until we die

 

A powerful line , thanks for posting:thumb_yello:

and quite true lol only you just dont LOOK like a teenager until you die (at my age.. that is sad lol).

 

t4p

[Kodes100]

Oh Wow!

Thank you for posting this article.

It is always nice to read some of Mika's history & experiences that I haven't read before.

 

[MissPie]

Interesting .. teenagers until we die

 

A powerful line , thanks for posting:thumb_yello:

 

Yes it really is, and I quite like that thought

[enigma]

and quite true lol only you just dont LOOK like a teenager until you die (at my age.. that is sad lol).

 

t4p[/color]

 

Well, I'm definitely on my way to behaving like one till I die!

 

I love the bit "The boy developed amazingly gorgeous". I'm sure the Google translation is spot on there!

[MissPie]

Well, I'm definitely on my way to behaving like one till I die!

I love the bit "The boy developed amazingly gorgeous". I'm sure the Google translation is spot on there!

 

Yeah, true, although I think they rather meant he developed amazingly well (which doesn't exclude gorgeous of course )

[violet_sky]

Thanks for posting

 

Although I don't agree with everything they say, it's quite a lovely article.

[freestyle]

i just ran around in our house.. like a freak just to

find the newspaper.

 

 

and now i can't find the extra part

 

 

 

 

 

[silver]

T4P

[Louiza]

"This person that begs to be liked, that asks if they are ugly or attractive, is me as a teenager. And I still feel the same. I think we are teenagers until we die."

That is a very powerful quote.

 

I really liked this article, t4p.

[Gracekelly85]

T4P!

[FOUCHONNERET]

Thanks to post it

yyeeees,i'm a teenager too

[nico_collard]

Thanks for posting!

[Marilyn Mastin]

Interesting .. teenagers until we die

 

A powerful line , thanks for posting:thumb_yello:

Fave bits are:

Mika The Great! (move over Alexander!)

Teenagers until we die! (aint that the truth now that 'The Great One' is here)

[MissPie]

Fave bits are:

Mika The Great! (move over Alexander!)

Teenagers until we die! (aint that the truth now that 'The Great One' is here)

 

Yeah

 

And I love how they actually depicted those dark sides. Awesome to see a big newspaper here writes good about him

[Jojotje]

teenagers till we die! Oh yes, I'm a teenager for allready 35 years! Still loving it!

[dcdeb]

"This person that begs to be liked, that asks if they are ugly or attractive, is me as a teenager. And I still feel the same. I think we are teenagers until we die."

 

I can sure relate to that!

 

Thanks for posting, and translating!

[Droopsy]

God I sure hope not about the 'teenagers until we die' bit, what an awful awful time

 

t4p

[MissPie]

God I sure hope not about the 'teenagers until we die' bit, what an awful awful time

 

t4p

hmm...I must say I do enjoy being a teenager

In a way, he's probably right. Not that I can judge, but it just seems quite true to me.

Might be an explanation why so many adults "way past any teenage obsession" are fangurling anyway

[Droopsy]

hmm...I must say I do enjoy being a teenager

In a way, he's probably right. Not that I can judge, but it just seems quite true to me.

Might be an explanation why so many adults "way past any teenage obsession" are fangurling anyway

 

To me that's more a way of escaping everyday life, which can be very boring

[MissPie]

To me that's more a way of escaping everyday life, which can be very boring

 

Well if you say so ditto, actually.

[freestyle]

I found the newspaper

 

they used this photo

 

[lollipop_monkey]

"This person that begs to be liked, that asks if they are ugly or attractive, is me as a teenager. And I still feel the same. I think we are teenagers until we die."

That is a very powerful quote.

 

I really liked this article, t4p.

 

I like it. I think in some ways I knew more at 16 than I do now.

 

Oh and I love the "Mika the Great" bit. Ain't that the truth.

 

Thanks for posting!

[Sam7413]

"You can see it good in the video for "Golden", in which Mika is raging through a teenager room in his underpants. "This person that begs to be liked, that asks if they are ugly or attractive, is me as a teenager. And I still feel the same. I think we are teenagers until we die."

 

I like how they see the point in the video and don't criticise it like a lot of people. A weird article, but it's quite a nice pleasant one for him.

Thanks for posting. (: