smokesignal Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 No idea Heineken was doing stuff with music nowadays, but... http://www.heinekenmusic.ie/interviews/6603/mikaoriginal-of-the-species/ MIKA...ORIGINAL OF THE SPECIES by JOHN ERNE added on Thu, 11 October 2012 The colourful Clown Prince of Pop is back with a new album (The Origin of Love), and to celebrate its release, Mika talks exclusively to Heineken Music about singing from a very early age, growing up in the world of opera, and maintaining dignity in a tabloid world. Once again you’re in the thick of it, what with your new album out and touring all over the place. You like it that way, don’t you? “I’ve been doing this since I was eleven years old, when I started singing opera, so I’m part of this weird world that doesn’t really live a normal life, and that looks a lot harder than doing nothing. Which is possibly the whole point of what I do.” Whoah – did you say 11? Did it seem normal even back then, or were there moments when you were wondering what was happening? “I approached music at a point in my life when things weren’t very normal to begin with. I’d moved from France and came to London, to school, and I had a really hard time – with the kids and with the teachers. I had a lot of learning disabilities, for a start; then there was my personality, notably things that I said. I thought that honesty was a good thing, but apparently you’re supposed to lie to make life as easy as possible. Anyway, things really kicked in at that time – my learning disabilities, that is – and I got taken out of school. It had got to the stage where I stopped talking. So I stopped going to school and that’s when I started to sing. It happened almost by fluke, you could say.” And that’s how the singing began? “Yes… A Russian teacher trained me in the same way that she had been trained herself, so it was quite tough, almost like an athlete. But I started getting work quite soon after that – my first gig, as such, was at the age of 12 in a Strauss opera at the Royal Opera House. One thing lead to the other.” Surely you had to go back to school? “When I went back to school my world split into two. In one – the opera world – I was treated like an adult and respected for what I did, although if I messed up I was worth nothing. That meant I had something to work for. Interestingly, all the things I was picked on for at school were the things that made me special and bankable as a performer. The school world? That to me was very fake, very ‘worship the pig’ ala Lord of the Flies. And I certainly wasn’t going to worship the pig, or even be the pig with my head on a skewer.” How did you gravitate from the Royal Opera House to pop music? “I’d started writing songs when I was in my early teens, even though I was studying classically. I was obsessed to going to see everything, from gigs to weird visual theatre, interpretive dance; I was a swot for these things. I liked anything that created illusions, and that’s why if I hadn’t gone into pop music I would have gone into design, painting, the arts. I loved creating worlds, partly as a remedy; it’s certainly not escapism, it’s more enabling yourself to deal with reality in a much more enjoyable way. I don’t escape with my music, I just take reality and make it a little bit more bearable.” You’ve always been very dignified about your sexuality. For a pop star that makes a change. “It’s different now, but it used to be more about self-preservation and self-respect than it was about anything else. I think there is a lot of pride and honour to be taken from the fact that you don’t whore yourself out in every single possible way in order to get a story out of every angle.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaito Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 No idea Heineken was doing stuff with music nowadays, but... http://www.heinekenmusic.ie/interviews/6603/mikaoriginal-of-the-species/ MIKA...ORIGINAL OF THE SPECIES by JOHN ERNE added on Thu, 11 October 2012 The colourful Clown Prince of Pop is back with a new album (The Origin of Love), and to celebrate its release, Mika talks exclusively to Heineken Music about singing from a very early age, growing up in the world of opera, and maintaining dignity in a tabloid world. Once again you’re in the thick of it, what with your new album out and touring all over the place. You like it that way, don’t you? “I’ve been doing this since I was eleven years old, when I started singing opera, so I’m part of this weird world that doesn’t really live a normal life, and that looks a lot harder than doing nothing. Which is possibly the whole point of what I do.” Whoah – did you say 11? Did it seem normal even back then, or were there moments when you were wondering what was happening? “I approached music at a point in my life when things weren’t very normal to begin with. I’d moved from France and came to London, to school, and I had a really hard time – with the kids and with the teachers. I had a lot of learning disabilities, for a start; then there was my personality, notably things that I said. I thought that honesty was a good thing, but apparently you’re supposed to lie to make life as easy as possible. Anyway, things really kicked in at that time – my learning disabilities, that is – and I got taken out of school. It had got to the stage where I stopped talking. So I stopped going to school and that’s when I started to sing. It happened almost by fluke, you could say.” And that’s how the singing began? “Yes… A Russian teacher trained me in the same way that she had been trained herself, so it was quite tough, almost like an athlete. But I started getting work quite soon after that – my first gig, as such, was at the age of 12 in a Strauss opera at the Royal Opera House. One thing lead to the other.” Surely you had to go back to school? “When I went back to school my world split into two. In one – the opera world – I was treated like an adult and respected for what I did, although if I messed up I was worth nothing. That meant I had something to work for. Interestingly, all the things I was picked on for at school were the things that made me special and bankable as a performer. The school world? That to me was very fake, very ‘worship the pig’ ala Lord of the Flies. And I certainly wasn’t going to worship the pig, or even be the pig with my head on a skewer.” How did you gravitate from the Royal Opera House to pop music? “I’d started writing songs when I was in my early teens, even though I was studying classically. I was obsessed to going to see everything, from gigs to weird visual theatre, interpretive dance; I was a swot for these things. I liked anything that created illusions, and that’s why if I hadn’t gone into pop music I would have gone into design, painting, the arts. I loved creating worlds, partly as a remedy; it’s certainly not escapism, it’s more enabling yourself to deal with reality in a much more enjoyable way. I don’t escape with my music, I just take reality and make it a little bit more bearable.” You’ve always been very dignified about your sexuality. For a pop star that makes a change. “It’s different now, but it used to be more about self-preservation and self-respect than it was about anything else. I think there is a lot of pride and honour to be taken from the fact that you don’t whore yourself out in every single possible way in order to get a story out of every angle.” Thank you for sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kumazzz Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 What is the VIDEO at the bottom of the article ? "not available in your country":blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marilyn Mastin Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 That's another great interview. T4P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Droopsy Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 What is the VIDEO at the bottom of the article ? "not available in your country":blink: It's just the music video for celebrate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mina Alisa Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 No idea Heineken was doing stuff with music nowadays, but... http://www.heinekenmusic.ie/interviews/6603/mikaoriginal-of-the-species/ MIKA...ORIGINAL OF THE SPECIES by JOHN ERNE added on Thu, 11 October 2012 The colourful Clown Prince of Pop is back with a new album (The Origin of Love), and to celebrate its release, Mika talks exclusively to Heineken Music about singing from a very early age, growing up in the world of opera, and maintaining dignity in a tabloid world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I love Mika. I just... yeah. Everytime I read a new interview with him, he always manages to say one or two things that, like his music, are expressed lightly or with nonchalance, but actually dismiss an entire aspect of the social world, or culture, or whatever, something utterly stupid that prevales regardless. And he's just so outside it, so aware of what and who he is, and so unashamed of it. 'Apparently you're supposed to lie to make life as easy as possible. Anyway...' Just, brilliant. I really do love this man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikabéa Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 "We 're sorry, but this video is not longer available " Someone recorded it maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mari62 Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 "We 're sorry, but this video is not longer available " Someone recorded it maybe? It's just the music video for celebrate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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