Anney Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 #135 of the World's Most Influential Arabs You may recognise Mika from his famous paean to larger ladies, Big Girl; the video to which sees him cavort with a number of gaudily-dressed, plump Brits. His first full-length studio album, Life in Cartoon Motion, sold 5.6 million copies worldwide, and he is working on his third offering, which will be released this year. http://www.arabianbusiness.com/power500/entry/386839'>http://www.arabianbusiness.com/power500/entry/386839 http://www.arabianbusiness.com/power500/gallery/387311'>http://www.arabianbusiness.com/power500/gallery/387311 Full list of the Power 500 http://www.arabianbusiness.com/power500/ thanks for posting:thumb_yello: He's 135th on the 500 list. The #7 is in relation to his fame. There are obviously different criteria for each and I would think that the criteria for the entire group of 500 is more than just wealth because it's described as "most influential". I would think wealth and influence are fairly closely linked in most cases but perhaps Mika's fame skews his influence because he has so much access to the public and being a celebrity opens doors more easily than a bit of money. is #7 good or not?? what`s the best?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basicamenteyo Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Maybe someone who is Lebanese can verify but I was under the impression that Christian Lebanese do not think of themselves as ethnically Arab...but maybe Arab has a more inclusive meaning in this context and they are just talking about people from Middle Eastern countries. of course I was not referring to his religion but to his "place or birth" (or however it´s said)... Here in Spain we refer to people from Middle Eastern as Arabs,and for me,he doesn´t fit in the image we have here of Arabs.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
francoise Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Maybe someone who is Lebanese can verify but I was under the impression that Christian Lebanese do not think of themselves as ethnically Arab...but maybe Arab has a more inclusive meaning in this context and they are just talking about people from Middle Eastern countries. of course I was not referring to his religion but to his "place or birth" (or however it´s said)... Here in Spain we refer to people from Middle Eastern as Arabs,and for me,he doesn´t fit in the image we have here of Arabs.... 94% of Lebanese people are ethnically arab and the others are armenian. As Mika is not half armenian, he is half arab. But the ethical group has nothing to do with the religion as you said Rosa. Lebanese are 56% muslim and 41% Christian.. but they are all arab Even if Mika doesn't "fit in the image" that people have of Arab, he is! Well half... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mer Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 of course I was not referring to his religion but to his "place or birth" (or however it´s said)... Here in Spain we refer to people from Middle Eastern as Arabs,and for me,he doesn´t fit in the image we have here of Arabs.... I think that Mika it´s a good influence for the culture Arabe in general... Cause it´s like his music trans fer peace and Love not like the hippies or the respect to the all kind of affinity sexual like a good voice in a good rhytm system cause it´s not only the singer his whole group it´s great... It´s a good news if MIka entry with a good "One Foot boy" In this country.. For eliminate al apologize about my comentary "It´s my personal opinion, refer not only i could see , or feel that he tranfer to me with his music..It´s only my own apretiation " GIFSoup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted March 28, 2011 Author Share Posted March 28, 2011 is #7 good or not?? what`s the best?? #1 is the best so he is very high on the list of famous Arabs (according to this publication). of course I was not referring to his religion but to his "place or birth" (or however it´s said)... Here in Spain we refer to people from Middle Eastern as Arabs,and for me,he doesn´t fit in the image we have here of Arabs.... I am not referring to his religion either, but to his ethnicity (i.e the people he descends from). Originally the Lebanese/Syrians were not Arabs and because they have remained Christian and not converted to Islam they have likely remained fairly distinct ethnically and not intermarried as much as you would expect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basicamenteyo Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 #1 is the best so he is very high on the list of famous Arabs (according to this publication). I am not referring to his religion either, but to his ethnicity (i.e the people he descends from). Originally the Lebanese/Syrians were not Arabs and because they have remained Christian and not converted to Islam they have likely remained fairly distinct ethnically and not intermarried as much as you would expect. that makes it clear... thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzie Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 He's 135th on the 500 list. The #7 is in relation to his fame. There are obviously different criteria for each and I would think that the criteria for the entire group of 500 is more than just wealth because it's described as "most influential". I would think wealth and influence are fairly closely linked in most cases but perhaps Mika's fame skews his influence because he has so much access to the public and being a celebrity opens doors more easily than a bit of money. I am only quoting this as you summed it up really well, IMO. I once read that Oprah Winfrey (probably the most influential person in the US after the president) basically decided the US elections since before she started to support Obama, Hillary Clinton had more support from voters. Of course it could have been explained by different reasons but there was some proper research on it and a strong correlation was found between Oprah supporters and Obama supporters in all geographical areas and it was found to have only emerged after Oprah officially stood by Obama. Similarly, I read that Lady Gaga has now shot up to one of the most influential people in the world, too, and it is mainly her fame and not the money or her time spent in this business that made this possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guylainem123 Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 oh I see. Thanks. Though he always says "I was born in Lebanon" each time he is asked I never think of him as an Arab and it´s odd for me seeing his name among all the others... Maybe someone who is Lebanese can verify but I was under the impression that Christian Lebanese do not think of themselves as ethnically Arab...but maybe Arab has a more inclusive meaning in this context and they are just talking about people from Middle Eastern countries. that's why i had asked if he was considered an Arab simply because of his place of birth. I mean i was born in the USA & i doubt i would be considered for the top 500 richest american (as an example... NOT that i have that kind of money ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basicamenteyo Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 that's why i had asked if he was considered an Arab simply because of his place of birth. I mean i was born in the USA & i doubt i would be considered for the top 500 richest american (as an example... NOT that i have that kind of money ) :roftl: yes,I´m with you here and I don´t know if people from Middle Eastern think that Mika is a representative.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guylainem123 Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 :roftl: yes,I´m with you here and I don´t know if people from Middle Eastern think that Mika is a representative.... exactly. i mean, i'm happy for him, but it just seems weird (in my opinion) that he would even be considered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 #135 of the World's Most Influential Arabs and he is working on his third offering, which will be released this year. So are we disregarding this bit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guylainem123 Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 So are we disregarding this bit? i'm really hoping, but i'm disregarding for the moment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basicamenteyo Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 exactly. i mean, i'm happy for him, but it just seems weird (in my opinion) that he would even be considered. yes. Sure he has family and stuff there,but... he,himself,FOR ME AND IN MY OWN OPINION is more British than anything else. He has referred to himself as a British (though yes,it sounds cooler when he says "I was born in Lebanon" or "I am half Lebanese") and his public image fits much better in a British singer than in a Lebanese singer... but hey!! Well done Meeks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzie Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 I am not referring to his religion either, but to his ethnicity (i.e the people he descends from). Originally the Lebanese/Syrians were not Arabs and because they have remained Christian and not converted to Islam they have likely remained fairly distinct ethnically and not intermarried as much as you would expect. I have checked wiki and they basically define people as Arab based on one or more of these criteria: 1. Genealogical: someone who can trace his or her ancestry to the tribes of Arabia – the original inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula – and the Syrian Desert. - this is a tick - Mika is half Arab then (the half being half Lebanese and half Syrian I guess) 2. Linguistic: someone whose first language, and by extension cultural expression, is Arabic. - Mika does not meet this criterion 3. Political: any person who is a citizen of a country where Arabic is either the national language or one of the official languages. Is Mika a Lebanese citizen? I don't think so I think Mika is less of an Arab celebrity than Tony Curtis is was Hungarian actor (both his parents were born here and he also spoke the language a bit), but in any case, him being on this list created by the Arab world is most definitely a compliment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiibet Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 He does have Lebanese roots, and I would like to hear his thoughts about it. I can remember only one interview where he tells more about it (and not only short mention). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anney Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 I know this question is weird, so forgive me, but is da boss actually "rich" ?? I mean because everything he does is so homemade and he`s working with that many famillymembers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted March 28, 2011 Author Share Posted March 28, 2011 So are we disregarding this bit? Yes I am disregarding pretty everything except "click here to pre-order your copy of Mika's XYZ title that is shipping on 123 date." 1. Genealogical: someone who can trace his or her ancestry to the tribes of Arabia – the original inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula – and the Syrian Desert. From what I understand there is a distinction among these tribes and that Maronite Lebanese do not think of themselves as Arab but descended from Phoenicians. I don't know how true this is, but apparently there is genetic evidence to back it up. I would be interested to hear directly from someone who is Lebanese on how they perceive themselves. A friend of mine is Parsi and although she comes from a community that has lived in India for millennia they do not think of themselves as ethnically Indian. They are far more likely to marry an Iranian Parsi than a non Parsi Indian as the community is very insular. Her brother in law and niece even have blue eyes. Anyway I'm sure we've had MFCers who know a lot more about this than I do. I'm just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted March 28, 2011 Author Share Posted March 28, 2011 He does have Lebanese roots, and I would like to hear his thoughts about it. Me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guylainem123 Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 I have checked wiki and they basically define people as Arab based on one or more of these criteria: 1. Genealogical: someone who can trace his or her ancestry to the tribes of Arabia – the original inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula – and the Syrian Desert. - this is a tick - Mika is half Arab then (the half being half Lebanese and half Syrian I guess) 2. Linguistic: someone whose first language, and by extension cultural expression, is Arabic. - Mika does not meet this criterion 3. Political: any person who is a citizen of a country where Arabic is either the national language or one of the official languages. Is Mika a Lebanese citizen? I don't think so I think Mika is less of an Arab celebrity than Tony Curtis is was Hungarian actor (both his parents were born here and he also spoke the language a bit), but in any case, him being on this list created by the Arab world is most definitely a compliment. i guess he does fall under no. 1) criteria i'm not sure about #3 either. thanks for looking it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guylainem123 Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 I know this question is weird, so forgive me, but is da boss actually "rich" ??I mean because everything he does is so homemade and he`s working with that many famillymembers... rich? well it depends on how you define rich. i think Mika & i don't have the same definition of what is poor and what is rich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted March 28, 2011 Author Share Posted March 28, 2011 i think Mika & i don't have the same definition of what is poor and what is rich. Indeed. I don't think everything is homemade either. Even if he picks up a paintbrush himself he is still hiring Es Devlin et al to help design it. I thought I read somewhere that the PDP thing cost in the £1 million range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guylainem123 Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Indeed. I don't think everything is homemade either. Even if he picks up a paintbrush himself he is still hiring Es Devlin et al to help design it. I thought I read somewhere that the PDP thing cost in the £1 million range. yes, i think i read that somewhere too. and i'm glad he does... i prefer he concentrates on his music. Concentrate Mika! Concentrate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lollipop_monkey Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Is Mika a Lebanese citizen? I don't think so It doesn't look like it. Unlike a lot of other countries (like the US, in Mika's case) it seems Lebanon does not allow parents to pass citizenship onto their children born abroad: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanese_nationality_law And further, citizenship is not passed through the mother but through the father, so unless the laws were different back then it doesn't seem likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiibet Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 i think Mika & i don't have the same definition of what is poor and what is rich. I think so too. Something that means "poor" to him can be actually quite rich for most of us Indeed. I don't think everything is homemade either. Even if he picks up a paintbrush himself he is still hiring Es Devlin et al to help design it. I thought I read somewhere that the PDP thing cost in the £1 million range. I usually think that his style (shows/stage) looks homemade. It doesn't mean he is doing everything himself and that it doesn't cost. Oh, £1 million? That's a lot of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzie Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 From what I understand there is a distinction among these tribes and that Maronite Lebanese do not think of themselves as Arab but descended from Phoenicians. I don't know how true this is, but apparently there is genetic evidence to back it up. I would be interested to hear directly from someone who is Lebanese on how they perceive themselves. Good point A friend of mine is Parsi and although she comes from a community that has lived in India for millennia they do not think of themselves as ethnically Indian. They are far more likely to marry an Iranian Parsi than a non Parsi Indian as the community is very insular. Her brother in law and niece even have blue eyes. Yes, Freddie Mercury was a Parsi, too, and I'd say he was Persian - never considered him as Indian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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