Mika in Italian Press 2020

[Kumazzz]

Trailer of the TOPOLINO magazine,

INSTAGRAM

TOPOLINO

https://www.instagram.com/p/CG2W4POjCmG/

 

[Kumazzz]

Sorry, I couldn't record screen.

Here is the AUDIO recording.

RTL 102.5

I Giudici di X Factor 2020 a RTL 102.5 In collegamento in W L'Italia

more screen caps

 

 

[mellody]

17 minutes ago, Kumazzz said:

Sorry, I couldn't record screen.

Here is the AUDIO recording.

RTL 102.5

I Giudici di X Factor 2020 a RTL 102.5 In collegamento in W L'Italia

more screen caps

 

 

Thank you. I didn't see it posted anywhere that he'd be on this radio show today, so I totally missed it.  I don't understand much of what he's saying, just that he's telling all spoilers and that his team is eclectic pop.

[Kumazzz]

EDIT !

DOWNLOADED !

RTL 102.5

I Giudici di X Factor 2020 a RTL 102.5 In collegamento in W L'Italia

 

[Kumazzz]

56 minutes ago, Kumazzz said:

EDIT !

DOWNLOADED !

RTL 102.5

I Giudici di X Factor 2020 a RTL 102.5 In collegamento in W L'Italia

 

OFFICIAL YouTube

RTL 102.5

I Giudici di X Factor 2020 a RTL 102.5 In collegamento in W L'Italia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rCFL2Zgxhg&feature=youtu.be&t=628

 

[Anna Ko Kolkowska]

https://www.grazia.it/magazine/laura-pausini-direttrice-ospite-grazia-47

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHLAabrhVHa/?igshid=aclryk2k2nxk

 

Ci siamo! Da domani arriverà in edicola il numero di GRAZIA con Laura Pausini come direttrice ospite.

E saranno due le copertine che vi anticipiamo qui e raccontano le due anime di Laura: quella angelica e quella rock. 

Il progetto  è nato da un'idea precisa della popstar: raccontare l'unicità. Per lei unicità è realizzare la «libertà di essere se stessi».

Scoprite da domani la lunga intervista intima che Laura  ha rilasciato alla direttrice di Grazia, Silvia Grilli, la conversazione che Pausini ha avuto con un'icona come Sophia Loren (che poi, scoprirete, non ama farsi chiamare così).
Laura ha coinvolto in questo numero straordinario molte persone speciali che ha incontrato nella sua vita come Mika, Bebe Vio, Ambra Angiolini o che l'hanno ispirata, come Greta Thunberg, e tante uniche nella loro quotidianità. 

Come i genitori, i lavoratori della musica, gli scienziati, gli infermieri, le donne che trovano il coraggio di denunciare i loro aguzzini. 

Ognuno  di noi ha dentro di sé la bellezza e la forza della propria differenza. Ecco perché questo numero parla di ognuno di voi. Non perdete le due copertine da collezione!

Vi aspettiamo da domani in edicola e su app.

 

Google translation

Here we are! From tomorrow the issue of GRAZIA will arrive on newsstands with Laura Pausini as guest director.

And there will be two covers that we anticipate here and tell the two souls of Laura: the angelic one and the rock one.

The project was born from a precise idea of the pop star: to tell the uniqueness. For her, uniqueness means realizing the "freedom to be oneself".

Discover from tomorrow the long intimate interview that Laura gave to the director of Grazia, Silvia Grilli, the conversation that Pausini had with an icon like Sophia Loren (who, you will discover, does not like to be called that).
Laura involved in this extraordinary issue many special people who she met in her life like Mika, Bebe Vio, Ambra Angiolini or who inspired her, like Greta Thunberg, and many unique in their daily lives.

Like parents, music workers, scientists, nurses, women who find the courage to denounce their torturers.

Each of us has within us the beauty and strength of our own difference. That is why this issue is about each of you. Don't miss the two collectible covers!

We look forward to seeing you from tomorrow on newsstands and on the app.

 

 

Edited November 5, 2020 by Anna Ko Kolkowska

[Anna Ko Kolkowska]

1 hour ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

https://www.grazia.it/magazine/laura-pausini-direttrice-ospite-grazia-47

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHLAabrhVHa/?igshid=aclryk2k2nxk

 

Ci siamo! Da domani arriverà in edicola il numero di GRAZIA con Laura Pausini come direttrice ospite.

E saranno due le copertine che vi anticipiamo qui e raccontano le due anime di Laura: quella angelica e quella rock. 

Il progetto  è nato da un'idea precisa della popstar: raccontare l'unicità. Per lei unicità è realizzare la «libertà di essere se stessi».

Scoprite da domani la lunga intervista intima che Laura  ha rilasciato alla direttrice di Grazia, Silvia Grilli, la conversazione che Pausini ha avuto con un'icona come Sophia Loren (che poi, scoprirete, non ama farsi chiamare così).
Laura ha coinvolto in questo numero straordinario molte persone speciali che ha incontrato nella sua vita come Mika, Bebe Vio, Ambra Angiolini o che l'hanno ispirata, come Greta Thunberg, e tante uniche nella loro quotidianità. 

Come i genitori, i lavoratori della musica, gli scienziati, gli infermieri, le donne che trovano il coraggio di denunciare i loro aguzzini. 

Ognuno  di noi ha dentro di sé la bellezza e la forza della propria differenza. Ecco perché questo numero parla di ognuno di voi. Non perdete le due copertine da collezione!

Vi aspettiamo da domani in edicola e su app.

 

Google translation

Here we are! From tomorrow the issue of GRAZIA will arrive on newsstands with Laura Pausini as guest director.

And there will be two covers that we anticipate here and tell the two souls of Laura: the angelic one and the rock one.

The project was born from a precise idea of the pop star: to tell the uniqueness. For her, uniqueness means realizing the "freedom to be oneself".

Discover from tomorrow the long intimate interview that Laura gave to the director of Grazia, Silvia Grilli, the conversation that Pausini had with an icon like Sophia Loren (who, you will discover, does not like to be called that).
Laura involved in this extraordinary issue many special people who she met in her life like Mika, Bebe Vio, Ambra Angiolini or who inspired her, like Greta Thunberg, and many unique in their daily lives.

Like parents, music workers, scientists, nurses, women who find the courage to denounce their torturers.

Each of us has within us the beauty and strength of our own difference. That is why this issue is about each of you. Don't miss the two collectible covers!

We look forward to seeing you from tomorrow on newsstands and on the app.

 

 

 

 

[krysady]

3 hours ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

 

Edited November 5, 2020 by krysady

[Paoletta]

Mika the Best always...

[mellody]

4 hours ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

 

Ah, that's the pic from his story in summer, where he said "Mika at home / Mika at work".

The interview was made when he was in Milan for the XF live. I don't understand the details, but he tells his story again about how he started singing on opera, he loves theatres, he was dyslexic and didn't speak, etc.. Also he tells the story about how he met Jodi Marr. He says something about Laura Pausini and what he's looking for in the XF candidates. And he talks about the Beirut gig.

 

I need to put this through a translator later, I think it's not as interesting as the Corriere one, but still I'd love to know the details.

[Anna Ko Kolkowska]

Interview with Laura Pausini about Grazia.

I can't embed correctly the Instagram link 😒

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHNxOwEq03P/?igshid=w2bjzijr5h2b

 

Laura shows as well the pages with Mika photo and the interview (about 40:00)

 

[Mikasister]

On 11/5/2020 at 1:00 PM, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

https://www.grazia.it/magazine/laura-pausini-direttrice-ospite-grazia-47

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHLAabrhVHa/?igshid=aclryk2k2nxk

 

Ci siamo! Da domani arriverà in edicola il numero di GRAZIA con Laura Pausini come direttrice ospite.

E saranno due le copertine che vi anticipiamo qui e raccontano le due anime di Laura: quella angelica e quella rock. 

Il progetto  è nato da un'idea precisa della popstar: raccontare l'unicità. Per lei unicità è realizzare la «libertà di essere se stessi».

Scoprite da domani la lunga intervista intima che Laura  ha rilasciato alla direttrice di Grazia, Silvia Grilli, la conversazione che Pausini ha avuto con un'icona come Sophia Loren (che poi, scoprirete, non ama farsi chiamare così).
Laura ha coinvolto in questo numero straordinario molte persone speciali che ha incontrato nella sua vita come Mika, Bebe Vio, Ambra Angiolini o che l'hanno ispirata, come Greta Thunberg, e tante uniche nella loro quotidianità. 

Come i genitori, i lavoratori della musica, gli scienziati, gli infermieri, le donne che trovano il coraggio di denunciare i loro aguzzini. 

Ognuno  di noi ha dentro di sé la bellezza e la forza della propria differenza. Ecco perché questo numero parla di ognuno di voi. Non perdete le due copertine da collezione!

Vi aspettiamo da domani in edicola e su app.

 

Google translation

Here we are! From tomorrow the issue of GRAZIA will arrive on newsstands with Laura Pausini as guest director.

And there will be two covers that we anticipate here and tell the two souls of Laura: the angelic one and the rock one.

The project was born from a precise idea of the pop star: to tell the uniqueness. For her, uniqueness means realizing the "freedom to be oneself".

Discover from tomorrow the long intimate interview that Laura gave to the director of Grazia, Silvia Grilli, the conversation that Pausini had with an icon like Sophia Loren (who, you will discover, does not like to be called that).
Laura involved in this extraordinary issue many special people who she met in her life like Mika, Bebe Vio, Ambra Angiolini or who inspired her, like Greta Thunberg, and many unique in their daily lives.

Like parents, music workers, scientists, nurses, women who find the courage to denounce their torturers.

Each of us has within us the beauty and strength of our own difference. That is why this issue is about each of you. Don't miss the two collectible covers!

We look forward to seeing you from tomorrow on newsstands and on the app.

 

 

 

On 11/5/2020 at 2:16 PM, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

 

 

Mikainstagram story

 

 

[Kumazzz]

IO Donna

Corriere della Sera 7 Nov 2020

• PressReader https://pressreader.com/article/282059099512772

Quello che le donne raccontano

• Antonella Baccaro

Tommaso Zorzi e la nuova mappa del desiderio femminile

Qualche anno fa, quando il fenomeno internazionale Mika esplose anche sulla scena italiana grazie a X Factor, scrissi un articolo che allora mi parve molto ardito. Sostenevo che la grazia del cantante libanese era tale da innamorare. Ai tempi si parlava molto del metrosexual, cioè dell’uomo dalla personalità meno definita, opposta al maschio Alfa. Mentre i gay apparivano ancora gli amici ideali delle donne single, quelli con cui andare a fare shopping, spettegolare, fare vacanza. Ma, riferendomi a Mika, io non parlavo di semplice affinità d’animo ma della possibilità concreta che noi donne potessimo innamorarci di uno come lui: un gay. A distanza di qualche anno, mi sembra che quell’ipotesi non sia più così peregrina. Certo, non ho dati. Mi riferisco, come faccio spesso, a quello che vedo intorno a me o è testimoniato da fenomeni mediatici. Ne cito due, ancora una volta nel mondo dello spettacolo. Il primo è il coming out di Gabriel Garko, l’interprete di fiction a lungo considerato dalle donne un sex symbol. L’attore nel tempo è stato spesso oggetto di voci che alludevano alla sua presunta omosessualità, ma soltanto oggi Garko ha deciso di non smentirle più, dichiarandosi e scommettendo sul fatto che questo non oscurerà il suo fascino e il successo presso il pubblico femminile. E, a giudicare da come la sua confessione è stata accolta, potrebbe avere ragione.

Il secondo caso riguarda la popolarità crescente di un altro personaggio: il giovane influencer Tommaso Zorzi, omosessuale dichiarato e paladino di molte battaglie a favore della comunità gay. Zorzi, grazie alla sua personalità e a un talento innato per lo spettacolo, è entrato nella casa del Grande Fratello Vip col suo amato paio di scarpe tacco 12 arancione e ne sta rivoluzionando lo schema, che ha sempre visto i protagonisti eterodiretti da una macchina autoriale potentissima. Tommaso sui social risulta amatissimo dai gay ma, a sorpresa, anche dalle donne, che lo trovano affascinante. Le prime a dichiarare che è lui l’uomo più sessualmente desiderabile della casa (dove è l’unico gay) sono state proprio le concorrenti. Il modello maschile è cambiato. I macho sono avvisati.

What women tell
Tommaso Zorzi and the new map of female desire

A few years ago, when the international phenomenon Mika also exploded on the Italian scene thanks to X Factor, I wrote an article that seemed very daring at the time. I argued that the Lebanese singer's grace was such that he fell in love. At the time there was much talk of the metrosexual, that is, the man with a less defined personality, as opposed to the Alpha male. While gays still appeared to be the ideal friends of single women, those with whom to go shopping, gossip, go on vacation. But, referring to Mika, I was not talking about simple affinity of soul but about the concrete possibility that we women could fall in love with someone like him: a gay. A few years later, it seems to me that that hypothesis is no longer so strange. Of course, I have no data. I refer, as I often do, to what I see around me or is witnessed by media phenomena. I mention two, once again in the entertainment world. The first is the coming out of Gabriel Garko, the fictional interpreter long considered by women a sex symbol. Over time, the actor has often been the subject of rumors that alluded to his alleged homosexuality, but only today has Garko decided not to deny them anymore, declaring himself and betting on the fact that this will not obscure his charm and success with the female audience. And, judging by how his confession was received, he might be right.

The second case concerns the growing popularity of another character: the young influencer Tommaso Zorzi, a declared homosexual and champion of many battles in favor of the gay community. Zorzi, thanks to his personality and innate talent for the show, has entered the house of Big Brother Vip with his beloved pair of orange 12 heel shoes and is revolutionizing the scheme, which has always seen the protagonists heterodirected by a very powerful authorial machine . Tommaso on social media is very much loved by gays but, surprisingly, also by women, who find him fascinating. The first to declare that he is the most sexually desirable man in the house (where he is the only gay) were the competitors. The male model has changed. Machos are warned.

page-52

 

 

Edited November 7, 2020 by Kumazzz
updating

[Anna-is-golden]

10 hours ago, Kumazzz said:

IO Donna

Corriere della Sera 7 Nov 2020

• PressReader https://pressreader.com/article/282059099512772

Quello che le donne raccontano

• Antonella Baccaro

Tommaso Zorzi e la nuova mappa del desiderio femminile

Qualche anno fa, quando il fenomeno internazionale Mika esplose anche sulla scena italiana grazie a X Factor, scrissi un articolo che allora mi parve molto ardito. Sostenevo che la grazia del cantante libanese era tale da innamorare. Ai tempi si parlava molto del metrosexual, cioè dell’uomo dalla personalità meno definita, opposta al maschio Alfa. Mentre i gay apparivano ancora gli amici ideali delle donne single, quelli con cui andare a fare shopping, spettegolare, fare vacanza. Ma, riferendomi a Mika, io non parlavo di semplice affinità d’animo ma della possibilità concreta che noi donne potessimo innamorarci di uno come lui: un gay. A distanza di qualche anno, mi sembra che quell’ipotesi non sia più così peregrina. Certo, non ho dati. Mi riferisco, come faccio spesso, a quello che vedo intorno a me o è testimoniato da fenomeni mediatici. Ne cito due, ancora una volta nel mondo dello spettacolo. Il primo è il coming out di Gabriel Garko, l’interprete di fiction a lungo considerato dalle donne un sex symbol. L’attore nel tempo è stato spesso oggetto di voci che alludevano alla sua presunta omosessualità, ma soltanto oggi Garko ha deciso di non smentirle più, dichiarandosi e scommettendo sul fatto che questo non oscurerà il suo fascino e il successo presso il pubblico femminile. E, a giudicare da come la sua confessione è stata accolta, potrebbe avere ragione.

Il secondo caso riguarda la popolarità crescente di un altro personaggio: il giovane influencer Tommaso Zorzi, omosessuale dichiarato e paladino di molte battaglie a favore della comunità gay. Zorzi, grazie alla sua personalità e a un talento innato per lo spettacolo, è entrato nella casa del Grande Fratello Vip col suo amato paio di scarpe tacco 12 arancione e ne sta rivoluzionando lo schema, che ha sempre visto i protagonisti eterodiretti da una macchina autoriale potentissima. Tommaso sui social risulta amatissimo dai gay ma, a sorpresa, anche dalle donne, che lo trovano affascinante. Le prime a dichiarare che è lui l’uomo più sessualmente desiderabile della casa (dove è l’unico gay) sono state proprio le concorrenti. Il modello maschile è cambiato. I macho sono avvisati.

What women tell
Tommaso Zorzi and the new map of female desire

A few years ago, when the international phenomenon Mika also exploded on the Italian scene thanks to X Factor, I wrote an article that seemed very daring at the time. I argued that the Lebanese singer's grace was such that he fell in love. At the time there was much talk of the metrosexual, that is, the man with a less defined personality, as opposed to the Alpha male. While gays still appeared to be the ideal friends of single women, those with whom to go shopping, gossip, go on vacation. But, referring to Mika, I was not talking about simple affinity of soul but about the concrete possibility that we women could fall in love with someone like him: a gay. A few years later, it seems to me that that hypothesis is no longer so strange. Of course, I have no data. I refer, as I often do, to what I see around me or is witnessed by media phenomena. I mention two, once again in the entertainment world. The first is the coming out of Gabriel Garko, the fictional interpreter long considered by women a sex symbol. Over time, the actor has often been the subject of rumors that alluded to his alleged homosexuality, but only today has Garko decided not to deny them anymore, declaring himself and betting on the fact that this will not obscure his charm and success with the female audience. And, judging by how his confession was received, he might be right.

The second case concerns the growing popularity of another character: the young influencer Tommaso Zorzi, a declared homosexual and champion of many battles in favor of the gay community. Zorzi, thanks to his personality and innate talent for the show, has entered the house of Big Brother Vip with his beloved pair of orange 12 heel shoes and is revolutionizing the scheme, which has always seen the protagonists heterodirected by a very powerful authorial machine . Tommaso on social media is very much loved by gays but, surprisingly, also by women, who find him fascinating. The first to declare that he is the most sexually desirable man in the house (where he is the only gay) were the competitors. The male model has changed. Machos are warned.

page-52

 

From personal experience, i can conferm that it’s not difficult to fall in love with Mika. 

[mellody]

11 hours ago, Kumazzz said:

of the metrosexual, that is, the man with a less defined personality

That sentence bothered me - it might just be a translation issue, but "less defined personality" isn't true - from the rest of her text, I guess what she means is macho vs. not macho, so maybe you could say, a less big ego, a less traditionally sterotypical masculinity. 🤷🏼‍♀️

 

Anyway I also don't understand why she claims it was daring of her to say that women could fall in love with a gay artist. Maybe it's daring in Italy, where the macho culture is quite strong. And imo the point also isn't to fall in love with a gay artist, but with an openly gay artist - I don't know if she means that, anyway it doesn't come across to me in the article.

 

Already decades ago women fell in love with gay artists, just that these artists were not out in public. So what has changed imo is not women liking men who aren't the typical alpha male, tastes have always been diverse. But rather the understanding and acceptance of homosexuality in society. If you have a crush on an artist, it technically doesn't matter whether he's gay, straight, married or single - it's a dream that will never come true anyway, but that's beautiful to dream nevertheless. Maybe a bit like Mika sings in Good Wife.

 

I don't know if maybe it's a question of maturity, and/or of confidence, to accept without sadness or bitterness that certain dreams will stay just dreams, and still be happy that you can dream them. Like, women dreaming of their Prince Charming, but only when they understand and accept that Prince Charming doesn't exist, they can be open for true love that's not like in a fairytale but still wonderful, and that can persist in everyday life. My personal experience.  

 

Another aspect imo is fears of your feelings not being accepted. Before Mika came out publicly, I feared that with doing so he might want to change his audience, would just play at gay clubs and prefer to have the frontrows full of gay men instead of his existing fanbase that mainly consisted of women. I know today that these fears were irrational and based on preconceptions and ignorance from my side, but they were real to me at the time. Instead of being vocal about it, I trusted Mika, and I wasn't disappointed. Mika has this special talent of spreading tolerance and unity among people, and I think he's making the world a better place with this.

[holdingyourdrink]

4 hours ago, mellody said:

...If you have a crush on an artist, it technically doesn't matter whether he's gay, straight, married or single - it's a dream that will never come true anyway, but that's beautiful to dream nevertheless. Maybe a bit like Mika sings in Good Wife.

 

I don't know if maybe it's a question of maturity, and/or of confidence, to accept without sadness or bitterness that certain dreams will stay just dreams, and still be happy that you can dream them. Like, women dreaming of their Prince Charming, but only when they understand and accept that Prince Charming doesn't exist, they can be open for true love that's not like in a fairytale but still wonderful, and that can persist in everyday life. My personal experience.  

 

Another aspect imo is fears of your feelings not being accepted. Before Mika came out publicly, I feared that with doing so he might want to change his audience, would just play at gay clubs and prefer to have the frontrows full of gay men instead of his existing fanbase that mainly consisted of women. I know today that these fears were irrational and based on preconceptions and ignorance from my side, but they were real to me at the time. Instead of being vocal about it, I trusted Mika, and I wasn't disappointed. Mika has this special talent of spreading tolerance and unity among people, and I think he's making the world a better place with this.

For what it’s worth, the sentence bothered me as well. But I do believe - like you said - the author meant it as in a not strongly defined sexual personality: the masculine or feminine. We know now that there is an entire spectrum between the two, but in many cultures that still isn’t accepted nor the norm. 
 

Drifting off: I actually believe it’s also a cultural/societal thing to believe in Prince Charming or not. We grew up with fairy tales where the Prince was the one to save the day and the road to ultimate happiness. Look at Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast etc etc. The fairy tales that our children are exposed to now: Frozen and Vaiana/Moana is about finding your own strength and happiness, independent of another person. (But the other people are an enrichment nonetheless.) I do believe it shapes our way of thinking when we see that at a young age and I’m happy to see society has caught on. 
So I think it’s both, maturity and cultural/societal beliefs. But as I’m typing this, I just realized that either way, idolizing something or someone will always remain 😊 in whatever context that may be. I just hope in a way our children will be able to differentiate that, but there is where maturity comes into play 😉
 

Idolizing and falling in love are two different things as well. There was a spark within us when we were first introduced to Mika, otherwise he couldn’t have hooked us 😉 but I also believe that that what we see, is just a very small part of who he is and also the part he would like to showcase. This is only natural, as this is his personality as an artist and his personality as a private person he keeps away from the public - rightfully so. Of course you as a long time fan have seen and read more. I’m still in the “infatuation” phase 🤣 so my self produced image of him is on a different pedestal than yours, I can only imagine. And that is solely based on the information he chooses to make available for us as fans. 
 

A self produced image also comes with imaginary expectations of how the person is going to be. I’m therefore quite anxious (post Corona, of course) to ever meet Mika, because I am afraid I might be disappointed. A total irrational thought. I guess the same kind of trail of thought you had when he publically came out. Irrational based on your own fears and projections. 
 

Anyway I’m drifting of 🤣 I agree, it’s totally irrelevant if the artist is gay, straight, married, single - it’s our idol, they’re not supposed to be an option, but a dream 😊

 

[mellody]

On 11/5/2020 at 2:16 PM, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the text & Google translation:

IL TALENTO DI ESSERE UN SOGNATORE

Con un concerto in cui ha coinvolto anche Kylie Minogue, Salma Hayek e la nostra Laura Pausini Mika ha aiutato la popolazione della sua Beirut dopo la terribile esplosione di agosto. E qui il cantante racconta come immedesimarsi nel dolore degli altri sia il primo passo per superare i momenti difficili. Come quello che stiamo vivendo ora con la seconda ondata del virus

di ANNALIA VENEZIA foto di CLAUDIA FERRI 

È bastata una telefonata di pochi minuti per capirsi. Quando in settembre il cantante Mika ha chiamato la nostra Laura nazionale, mai avrebbe creduto in una risposta così celere. La richiesta era sostenerlo nel suo progetto benefico dopo l'esplosione disastrosa avvenuta a Beirut il 4 agosto, con un concerto in streaming e una raccolta di fondi. «Mi ha detto sì senza trincerarsi dietro un agente discografico o impegni improrogabili», racconta lui. «Questo dono ci ha permesso di dare aiuto a migliaia di persone».

Incontro Mika a colazione, davanti a un caffè, nell'Hotel Palazzo Parigi, a Milano. La star si trova in città per le dirette di X Factor, in onda ogni giovedì alle 21.15 su Sky Uno, di cui è giudice insieme con i cantanti Emma, Hell Raton e Manuel Agnelli.

Sono qui con lui per approfondire il concetto di unicità. Che riguarda tutti, non solo gli artisti. Come si scopre di avere un talento? E soprattutto, come si protegge e coltiva una passione? «Non credo nel concetto di essere speciale rispetto ad altri», puntualizza. «Sono differente, quello sì. Nel mondo reale, uno che crede di essere speciale, per me è un po' "stronzo". Questa distinzione è importante», sostiene.

 

Qual è stato il clic della sua vita, quello che l'ha spinta a inseguire il suo sogno?

«Non mi sono mai sentito unico, erano i miei occhi a dare un valore diverso alle stesse cose che vedevano gli altri. Da piccolo ero ossessionato dal teatro. Solo nel centro di Londra, dove vivevo, ce ne sono 250 e li conosco quasi tutti. Già a 8 o 9 anni lavoravo nelle produzioni teatrali, alcune erano molto grandi e io, barando sull'orario di convocazione, chiedevo a mia madre di accompagnarmi prima per osservare i tecnici all'opera. Era come un film dentro un film».

 

Che bambino era?

«Un sognatore. Ero il terzo di cinque fratelli, tutti vittime degli spettacoli che allestivo in casa. Il momento della scelta dei ruoli era il più bello. Ho imparato presto il valore dell'equilibrio tra gli attori. Capitava che un giorno mia sorella interpretasse il poliziotto e il giorno dopo l'albero. Tutti volevano evitare di fare la roccia o la casa, e rimanere immobili per ore. È così che ho capito che dietro agli spettacoli c'è un lungo lavoro di diplomazia».

 

Chi l'ha avvicinata all'arte?

«Il mio nonno paterno, Richard, era un diplomatico che viveva negli Stati Uniti, a Savannah, in Georgia. Era amante del jazz e amico della cantante Nina Simone. E poi era anche un critico culinario. Aveva amici in ogni parte del mondo, lo ammiravo e mi sono ispirato a lui».

 

Qual è il talento che l'ha resa unico e portato dov'è oggi? 

«La forza del sognatore, che mi ha consentito di rimanere coerente al mio mondo indipendentemente dalla fama e dal successo. Questa libertà di pensiero e di valutazione mi è stata offerta da mia madre in un momento di grande difficoltà economica della famiglia».

 

Cioè?

«Lei mi ha insegnato a vivere ogni impegno e difficoltà come un gioco. Avevo 7 anni quando mio padre è stato preso in ostaggio nella prima Guerra del Golfo. Nel giro di poco tempo abbiamo perso tutto. Mia madre ci ha portati a Londra. Siamo passati da una grande casa con la governante a un bilocale in periferia». 

Che ricordi ha di quella fase?

«Non riuscivo a leggere e a scrivere e ho smesso di parlare per nove mesi. Avevo problemi di apprendimento e sono diventato dislessico. Al punto che mia madre mi ha tolto da scuola: "Ora devi trovarti un lavoro'', diceva. La musica era il mio rifugio, il mio gioco preferito. E ogni giorno andavo al parco per ore di esercizi musicali. A 8 anni ero sul palco. Era un lavoro, ma mi divertivo».

 

Una scelta difficile, per sua madre.

«Una scelta fantastica, invece. Mi ha insegnato il rispetto per me stesso e per le mie idee. La strada che percorreva-no gli altri non era la mia».

 

Come ha superato la dislessia?

«La musica è stata la mia maestra. E quando ho iniziato a essere un professionista sono stato accettato in una delle scuole più importanti d'Europa, la Westminster SchooL Lì ho incontrato la signora Coogan, specializzata in dislessia. Con un'ora al giorno, per tre anni, mi ha portato a risultati brillanti».

 

E stato fortunato.

«Sì, la scuola non aveva il budget per lei, ma è rimasta lo stesso prendendo metà dello stipendio. Senza di lei non avrei studiato».

 

Quando ha compreso il concetto di unicità?

«Avevo 11 anni quando mia madre ci ha portati in Cina, a Pechino, per vedere l'apertura del primo McDonald's. Viaggiavamo senza mio padre, lei era da sola con cinque figli e il più piccolo aveva un anno. "Questa gente, che vi sembra tutta uguale e vestita di grigio, ha sogni come voi, ognuno di loro ha una sua storia e una sua personalità», diceva. Ecco il concetto di unicità spiegato da mia madre».

 

Lei riconosce l'unicità negli altri?

«Sì, bisogna saper stare in ascolto. Con Laura Pausini è andata così, è stato subito un dialogo genuino. Lei è empatica, sveglia, tosta, ambiziosa. Non è ciò che definirei una persona semplice. E una grande professionista, attenta ai dettagli. Si rimbocca le maniche, sa che cosa vuole e raggiunge gli obiettivi che si prefissa».

 

Che cos'ha scoperto di Laura dopo questa esperienza?

«Mi ha dimostrato che più un personaggio è grande, più non ha bisogno di nascondersi dietro a un agente. Dice ciò che pensa e, se vuole qualcosa, lo chiede. Non lo fa chiedere dagli altri».

 

E i colleghi maschi?

«Fanno più i divi rispetto alle donne. Sono più capricciosi, volubili e meno trasparenti».

 

Ha incontrato "pezzi unici"nei casting di X Factor?

«Ci sono diamanti grezzi. Ma il percorso di un artista è una combinazione di tanti elementi: voce, cultura, faccia, 
tutto nel momento giusto. E poi l'emozione, la semplicità, la sensibilità. Un'alchimia che non sempre funziona».

 

Quanto conta essere al posto giusto al momento giusto, in una carriera?

«Nel mio mondo tantissimo»

 

A lei quando è accaduto?

«Avevo 17 anni e a una cena a Parigi ho conosciuto una signora potente, che aveva una casa discografica a New York. Metto insieme tutti i miei risparmi e volo da lei per un appuntamento, ma non può ricevermi. Ero così deluso che il suo assistente, impietosito, mi presenta in corridoio l'autrice di canzoni Jody Marr. Le faccio sentire quattro pezzi e alla fine lei mi propone di andare a Miami, dove lavorava: "Vieni e produrremo il disco». Ho investito tutti i soldi della borsa di studio e lei ha ipotecato la casa. In quell'album c'erano tutti i demo delle mie canzoni più famose ed è volato primo in classifica».

 

E la signora della casa discografica?

«Sosteneva che mi avesse aiutato lei».

 

Essere libanese in che cosa l'ha aiutata?

«I libanesi sono adattabili. Ma la verità è che, anche se sono nato a Beirut, sono cresciuto in Inghilterra e in Francia. La mia identità non arriva da un posto solo, la mia visione del mondo è quella di un migrante. La contaminazione di culture, che molti considerano una debolezza, è stata la mia forza»

 

Ma dopo l'esplosione del 4 agosto lei si è sentito subito parte della tragedia di Beirut.

«Mi sto impegnando per la gente di quel Paese, non per il Paese. Con i concerti in streaming abbiamo raccolto oltre un milione di euro che sono andati alle persone».

 

Si è parlato di corruzione negli aiuti.

«In passato ci sono stati scandali, gli aiuti andavano solo alle famiglie dei militari e della Protezione civile. Io ho seguito tutto da vicino, mi sono affidato alla Croce Rossa e all'associazione Save the Children e so che hanno fatto un buon lavoro».

 

Che cos'ha imparato da questo evento?

«Il concerto in streaming è stata una risposta anche al Covid. Mi ha insegnato che cos'è l'empatia, la connessione tra individui che si trovano distanti, quella che dobbiamo avere anche adesso mentre affrontiamo la seconda ondata dei contagi».

 

Come è riuscito a ottenere il Colosseo di Roma per il concerto di Laura Pausini?

«È stata l'unica richiesta di Laura. Io sono un ottimista e ho contattato il ministero dei Beni Culturali che in quattro ore ci ha dato il permesso. La forza della volontà arriva ovunque». 
 

Spoiler

THE TALENT OF BEING A DREAMER

With a concert in which he also involved Kylie Minogue, Salma Hayek and our Laura Pausini Mika helped the people of her Beirut after the terrible explosion in August. And here the singer tells how to identify with the pain of others is the first step to overcome difficult moments. Like what we are experiencing now with the second wave of the virus

by ANNALIA VENEZIA photo by CLAUDIA FERRI

A few minutes' phone call was enough to understand each other. When singer Mika called our national Laura in September, he never would have believed in such a quick response. The request was to support him in his charity project after the disastrous explosion in Beirut on August 4, with a streaming concert and fundraising. "She said yes to me without hiding behind a record agent or unprovable commitments," he says. "This gift has enabled us to help thousands of people."

I meet Mika for breakfast, in front of a coffee, in the Hotel Palazzo Parigi, in Milan. The star is in town for the live X Factor, broadcast every Thursday at 9.15 pm on Sky Uno, of which he is a judge together with the singers Emma, Hell Raton and Manuel Agnelli.

I'm here with him to deepen the concept of uniqueness. Which concerns everyone, not just the artists. How do you find out you have a talent? And above all, how do you protect yourself and cultivate a passion? "I don't believe in the concept of being special compared to others," he points out. «I'm different, yes. In the real world, someone who thinks he's special is a bit of an "asshole" to me. This distinction is important, ”he argues.

 

What was the click of her life, the one that prompted her to pursue her dream?

«I have never felt unique, it was my eyes that gave a different value to the same things that others saw. As a child I was obsessed with the theater. In central London alone, where I lived, there are 250 and I know almost all of them. Already at 8 or 9 I was working in theatrical productions, some were very big and I, cheating on the time of the meeting, I asked my mother to accompany me first to observe the technicians at work. It was like a movie within a movie ».

 

What child was he?

«A dreamer. I was the third of five siblings, all victims of the shows I set up at home. The moment of choosing the roles was the most beautiful. I soon learned the value of balance between the actors. It happened that one day my sister played the policeman and the next day the tree. Everyone wanted to avoid making the rock or the house, and stay still for hours. This is how I understood that behind the shows there is a long diplomacy job ».

 

Who approached you to art?

“My paternal grandfather, Richard, was a diplomat who lived in the United States, in Savannah, Georgia. He was a lover of jazz and a friend of the singer Nina Simone. He was also a food critic. He had friends all over the world, I admired him and I was inspired by him ».

 

What is the talent that made her unique and brought her where she is today?

«The strength of the dreamer, which has allowed me to remain consistent with my world regardless of fame and success. This freedom of thought and evaluation was offered to me by my mother at a time of great economic difficulty for the family ».

 

That is?

«She taught me to live every commitment and difficulty as a game. I was 7 when my father was taken hostage in the first Gulf War. In a short time we lost everything. My mother took us to London. We went from a large house with the housekeeper to a two-room apartment in the suburbs ».

What memories do you have of that phase?

“I couldn't read and write and I stopped talking for nine months. I had learning problems and became dyslexic. To the point that my mother took me out of school: "Now you have to find a job," she said. Music was my refuge, my favorite game. And every day I went to the park for hours of musical exercises. At 8 I was on stage. It was a job, but I enjoyed it. "

 

A difficult choice for his mother.

«A fantastic choice, however. It taught me respect for myself and my ideas. The road the others followed was not mine. "

 

How did you overcome dyslexia?

«Music has been my teacher. And when I started being a professional I was accepted into one of the most important schools in Europe, the Westminster School. There I met Mrs Coogan, who specializes in dyslexia. With one hour a day, for three years, it has led me to brilliant results ».

 

He was lucky.

“Yes, the school didn't have the budget for her, but she stayed the same, taking half the salary. Without her I would not have studied. '

 

When did you understand the concept of uniqueness?

«I was 11 when my mother took us to China, to Beijing, to see the opening of the first McDonald's. We were traveling without my father, she was alone with five children and the youngest was one year old. "These people, who seem all the same and dressed in gray, have dreams like you, each of them has its own story and personality," she said. This is the concept of uniqueness explained by my mother ".

 

Do you recognize the uniqueness in others?

«Yes, you have to know how to listen. That's how it went with Laura Pausini, it was immediately a genuine dialogue. She is empathetic, smart, tough, ambitious. This is not what I would call a simple person. She is a great professional, attentive to details. She rolls up his sleeves, knows what he wants and achieves the goals she sets herself ».

 

What did you find out about Laura after this experience?

“It showed me that the bigger a character, the more he doesn't need to hide behind an agent. He says what he thinks and, if he wants something, he asks for it. He does not ask the others to do so ».

 

What about male colleagues?

«They are more diva than women. They are more capricious, fickle and less transparent ».

 

Did you encounter "unique pieces" in the X Factor casting?

“There are diamonds in the rough. But the path of an artist is a combination of many elements: voice, culture, face,
all at the right time. And then the emotion, the simplicity, the sensitivity. An alchemy that doesn't always work ».

 

How important is being in the right place at the right time in a career?

"In my world a lot"

 

When did this happen to you?

“I was 17 and at a dinner in Paris I met a powerful lady who had a record company in New York. I put all my savings together and fly to her on a date, but she can't see me. I was so disappointed that her assistant takes pity on me to introduce songwriter Jody Marr in the hallway. I play four songs for her and in the end she suggests that I go to Miami, where she worked: "Come and we will produce the record." I invested all the scholarship money and she mortgaged the house. all the demos of my most famous songs and it flew first in the charts ».

 

And the lady from the record company?

"She claimed she helped me."

 

How did being Lebanese help you?

“The Lebanese are adaptable. But the truth is, even though I was born in Beirut, I grew up in England and France. My identity does not come from just one place, my vision of the world is that of a migrant. The contamination of cultures, which many consider a weakness, has been my strength "

 

But after the 4 August explosion, you immediately felt part of the Beirut tragedy.

“I am working for the people of that country, not for the country. With streaming concerts we have collected over one million euros that went to people ».

 

There was talk of corruption in aid.

"In the past there have been scandals, aid went only to the families of the military and the Civil Defense. I have followed everything closely, I have entrusted myself to the Red Cross and the Save the Children association and I know that they have done a good job ».

 

What did you learn from this event?

«The streaming concert was also a response to Covid. He taught me what empathy is, the connection between individuals who are distant, the one we must have even now as we face the second wave of infections ».

 

How did you manage to get the Colosseum in Rome for the Laura Pausini concert?

“It was Laura's only request. I am an optimist and I contacted the Ministry of Cultural Heritage which gave us permission in four hours. Willpower reaches everywhere ».

 

[mellody]

3 hours ago, holdingyourdrink said:

For what it’s worth, the sentence bothered me as well. But I do believe - like you said - the author meant it as in a not strongly defined sexual personality: the masculine or feminine. We know now that there is an entire spectrum between the two, but in many cultures that still isn’t accepted nor the norm. 
 

Drifting off: I actually believe it’s also a cultural/societal thing to believe in Prince Charming or not. We grew up with fairy tales where the Prince was the one to save the day and the road to ultimate happiness. Look at Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast etc etc. The fairy tales that our children are exposed to now: Frozen and Vaiana/Moana is about finding your own strength and happiness, independent of another person. (But the other people are an enrichment nonetheless.) I do believe it shapes our way of thinking when we see that at a young age and I’m happy to see society has caught on. 
So I think it’s both, maturity and cultural/societal beliefs. But as I’m typing this, I just realized that either way, idolizing something or someone will always remain 😊 in whatever context that may be. I just hope in a way our children will be able to differentiate that, but there is where maturity comes into play 😉
 

Idolizing and falling in love are two different things as well. There was a spark within us when we were first introduced to Mika, otherwise he couldn’t have hooked us 😉 but I also believe that that what we see, is just a very small part of who he is and also the part he would like to showcase. This is only natural, as this is his personality as an artist and his personality as a private person he keeps away from the public - rightfully so. Of course you as a long time fan have seen and read more. I’m still in the “infatuation” phase 🤣 so my self produced image of him is on a different pedestal than yours, I can only imagine. And that is solely based on the information he chooses to make available for us as fans. 
 

A self produced image also comes with imaginary expectations of how the person is going to be. I’m therefore quite anxious (post Corona, of course) to ever meet Mika, because I am afraid I might be disappointed. A total irrational thought. I guess the same kind of trail of thought you had when he publically came out. Irrational based on your own fears and projections. 
 

Anyway I’m drifting of 🤣 I agree, it’s totally irrelevant if the artist is gay, straight, married, single - it’s our idol, they’re not supposed to be an option, but a dream 😊

 

 

About Prince Charming, surely it's a cultural/societal thing - in some other countries you have to marry who your parents choose for you. But of course it's not just Disney movies that shape our way of thinking. As for me, as a kid I preferred The Jungle Book over Snow White. But I watched Lady Di's wedding on TV, and from then it was my goal to have a wedding like that.  I think the influence of the Disney movies for me only came when I was about 13, 14 - with The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, which were at the cinemas at that time. I needed a dreamworld at that time, and I found it there. I don't know though how much it really influenced my view on men. I mean, you also don't run around killing people (or just thinking it's ok to do so), just because you watched action movies as a kid / teenager, right? But that's really a bit drifting off here...

 

To get back to Mika: He shows a lot of himself these days (in particular with the last album/tour), more than ever before. It's true, as a long time fan I have a certain background knowledge that enables me to put the things he reveals about himself now in a context, and thus see a bigger image. He has always showed a new part of himself with every new album, but this time it feels like I got the essential pieces to the puzzle that were missing all those years. It might have been the Mika / Michael concept, which really explains a lot. Michael is his personality as a private person, at least part of it - and by revealing this part of himself, it feels like I've discovered him anew - so I guess I'm not so much in a different phase than you.  

 

And well, I don't know what you expect from meeting him - but as I think that it's not about getting a picture or autograph for you in the first place, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Mika is "what you see is what you get", if not even better in real life.  

[holdingyourdrink]

9 hours ago, mellody said:

 

About Prince Charming, surely it's a cultural/societal thing - in some other countries you have to marry who your parents choose for you. But of course it's not just Disney movies that shape our way of thinking. As for me, as a kid I preferred The Jungle Book over Snow White. But I watched Lady Di's wedding on TV, and from then it was my goal to have a wedding like that.  I think the influence of the Disney movies for me only came when I was about 13, 14 - with The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, which were at the cinemas at that time. I needed a dreamworld at that time, and I found it there. I don't know though how much it really influenced my view on men. I mean, you also don't run around killing people (or just thinking it's ok to do so), just because you watched action movies as a kid / teenager, right? But that's really a bit drifting off here...

 

To get back to Mika: He shows a lot of himself these days (in particular with the last album/tour), more than ever before. It's true, as a long time fan I have a certain background knowledge that enables me to put the things he reveals about himself now in a context, and thus see a bigger image. He has always showed a new part of himself with every new album, but this time it feels like I got the essential pieces to the puzzle that were missing all those years. It might have been the Mika / Michael concept, which really explains a lot. Michael is his personality as a private person, at least part of it - and by revealing this part of himself, it feels like I've discovered him anew - so I guess I'm not so much in a different phase than you.  

 

And well, I don't know what you expect from meeting him - but as I think that it's not about getting a picture or autograph for you in the first place, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Mika is "what you see is what you get", if not even better in real life.  

Haha, you have a point. I have not shaped my idea of interaction with other people based on action movies (I’m a Marvel/DC Comics fan, if you would apply my theory it means that it would definitely lead to superhero complexes 🤣). But I guess we try to explain ourselves and our path of life by taking metaphors from the influences around us, like Disney movies 🙈 in the end we try to see metaphors in everything, or at least I do, haha. 
 

The interview is very interesting and reminds me very much of a good friend of mine (he joined the IG live the other day to talk to Deb 😊), who sees everything in a different and surprisingly refreshing perspective.
In a world where everything needs to be “unique”, “fast” and “innovating”, I think it’s kind of a relief to see Mika doesn’t see himself as special. I agree with him, because I also think that the people who say about themselves how “special” and “unique” they are, are a bit too much in their own bubble 😉 (wording it a bit more diplomatic here than he did 😆). It gives me the sense that through it all, he still has both feet on the ground. Or at least that is what this interview portrays to me. 
 

And I think it’s interesting that you feel we’re in a similar phase, haha. To be honest, I wasn’t a Mika fan before, (and what I am about to say will not be appreciated, I know 🙈) because I felt he was screaming and pretending to “walk the walk”, as to try to understand what was going on in his life. At the time when Grace Kelly came out, I was screaming as well in my own life. So in hindsight I guess it was just kind of a mirror I was looking at, and I didn’t like what I saw. Just because it reminded me of my own walk of life. 
His most recent music and also the live performances of his old music gives portrays a ripeness and a sense of arriving. I very much identify with that and that is also the time I became a fan. 
 

And actually, as much as I am looking forward to meeting Mika, I am actually looking forward more to meet the Mika family 😊 he is a dream and he should remain that way. I will just look at him in awe and will then talk all about it endlessly with you guys, because we all understand!! ❤️

[mellody]

10 hours ago, holdingyourdrink said:

In a world where everything needs to be “unique”, “fast” and “innovating”, I think it’s kind of a relief to see Mika doesn’t see himself as special. I agree with him, because I also think that the people who say about themselves how “special” and “unique” they are, are a bit too much in their own bubble 😉 (wording it a bit more diplomatic here than he did 😆). It gives me the sense that through it all, he still has both feet on the ground. Or at least that is what this interview portrays to me.

 

I'm still wondering how to bring that together with the lyrics for Ordinary Man - "not as special as I think that I am", and also with what he says about mediocrity, which imo is the opposite of being special/unique. Maybe I'm getting a bit mixed up with the definitions of "special" and "unique" - he does talk about it in this interview, maybe I have to reread it a few times, but it doesn't completely arrive with me what the author promises in the introduction. Tho I do understand what Mika says about the definition of uniqueness told by his mother - it's something I have felt at the Bolzano gig in February, I wrote it in my report about that gig, it's exactly that (at least from what I understand that he means in this interview). And well, that's something that can hardly be described and that you can't be made to feel just by being told. I still don't know how it happened in Bolzano.

 

Of course I agree that people who think they're better than others are as*holes. And well, maybe that's what he means by saying "special compared to others". There's another aspect tho that I remember from the time when I was bullied at school. When you're made to feel worthless every day, then you will either believe that they are right and you are worth less than them. Or you can try to protect yourself by believing that they're all wrong and that you must be really special for all of them to hate you so much for no reason. It was a mix of both for me, and after changing school, in my later schoolyears I think I was often seen as arrogant, because I had built a wall around me to protect myself. For over a decade after that, my biggest dream was to become rich and famous, to show them all how special I really am and what they've missed. That's another story, but I sometimes wonder how much of this was an issue for Mika as well. I somehow think it's not anymore, but when I read, like in the other interview, that he has this big fear of being mediocre, I also wonder whether this is linked to the bullying, and generally his family's story.

 

And that brings me to:

11 hours ago, holdingyourdrink said:

And I think it’s interesting that you feel we’re in a similar phase, haha. To be honest, I wasn’t a Mika fan before, (and what I am about to say will not be appreciated, I know 🙈) because I felt he was screaming and pretending to “walk the walk”, as to try to understand what was going on in his life. At the time when Grace Kelly came out, I was screaming as well in my own life. So in hindsight I guess it was just kind of a mirror I was looking at, and I didn’t like what I saw. Just because it reminded me of my own walk of life. 
His most recent music and also the live performances of his old music gives portrays a ripeness and a sense of arriving. I very much identify with that and that is also the time I became a fan. 

 

I kind of agree with you from today's point of view (tho I never felt he was "screaming"), but my reaction to it back then was different from yours - maybe my own walk of life was just at a different point, or I was indeed looking for a mirror. When I started following him in 2007, it felt like he was a step further than me, like he had overcome bullying - in fact he lived the dream that I just mentioned here, he was the bullied kid that became rich and famous, his own way. He dared to speak out - it was also the time when the internet started to change the music industry, but the industry clinged to their old ways, and a song like Grace Kelly hit exactly the right nerve with me at that time. A little bit rebellious, but in a nice way. Over the years, I think it always was a balance of what I felt I could learn from Mika and what I felt I already understood better than him. And it still is now. He has come a long way since then, and so have I. But still after all these years he continues to surprise and amaze me.

[holdingyourdrink]

16 hours ago, mellody said:

 

I'm still wondering how to bring that together with the lyrics for Ordinary Man - "not as special as I think that I am", and also with what he says about mediocrity, which imo is the opposite of being special/unique. Maybe I'm getting a bit mixed up with the definitions of "special" and "unique" - he does talk about it in this interview, maybe I have to reread it a few times, but it doesn't completely arrive with me what the author promises in the introduction. Tho I do understand what Mika says about the definition of uniqueness told by his mother - it's something I have felt at the Bolzano gig in February, I wrote it in my report about that gig, it's exactly that (at least from what I understand that he means in this interview). And well, that's something that can hardly be described and that you can't be made to feel just by being told. I still don't know how it happened in Bolzano.

 

Of course I agree that people who think they're better than others are as*holes. And well, maybe that's what he means by saying "special compared to others". There's another aspect tho that I remember from the time when I was bullied at school. When you're made to feel worthless every day, then you will either believe that they are right and you are worth less than them. Or you can try to protect yourself by believing that they're all wrong and that you must be really special for all of them to hate you so much for no reason. It was a mix of both for me, and after changing school, in my later schoolyears I think I was often seen as arrogant, because I had built a wall around me to protect myself. For over a decade after that, my biggest dream was to become rich and famous, to show them all how special I really am and what they've missed. That's another story, but I sometimes wonder how much of this was an issue for Mika as well. I somehow think it's not anymore, but when I read, like in the other interview, that he has this big fear of being mediocre, I also wonder whether this is linked to the bullying, and generally his family's story.

 

And that brings me to:

 

I kind of agree with you from today's point of view (tho I never felt he was "screaming"), but my reaction to it back then was different from yours - maybe my own walk of life was just at a different point, or I was indeed looking for a mirror. When I started following him in 2007, it felt like he was a step further than me, like he had overcome bullying - in fact he lived the dream that I just mentioned here, he was the bullied kid that became rich and famous, his own way. He dared to speak out - it was also the time when the internet started to change the music industry, but the industry clinged to their old ways, and a song like Grace Kelly hit exactly the right nerve with me at that time. A little bit rebellious, but in a nice way. Over the years, I think it always was a balance of what I felt I could learn from Mika and what I felt I already understood better than him. And it still is now. He has come a long way since then, and so have I. But still after all these years he continues to surprise and amaze me.

Drifting off here, but: I’m currently  listening to the album NPIH and I feel in “Ordinary Man” it is more from a victim point of view, whereas in “Promiseland” it’s like crawling out of that pit of sadness and owning it 😆“don’t occupy my thrown, give me the crown I own”. 

The situation is the same in both songs, just a change of attitude. Just embrace what it is and own up to your feelings to move forward. It’s a way of coping, maybe the tool he means on the Corriere interview. 

 

Reading both interviews again, I can’t recall him saying that he has a fear of being mediocre? Or at least I had a different interpretation of his (translated) words. We all have our special and mediocre sides, we just have to own up to them and feel comfortable in being the diversity that we are - without having to clarity or justify ourselves to anyone. After reading what you said about the other interview and mediocrity, I actually think he meant that mediocrity isn’t bad, it’s bad if you don’t have the tools to stand up for yourself and are therefore easily influenced. This is what social media plays a huge part in and this is also what he detests about it. 

 

To be honest, when I read the headline of the Corriere interview I was afraid he was going to be an a**hole about mediocrity. He definitely wasn’t. In this interview it was kept short and simple, but the message is the same. 

And what I took from this one: his mum is a powerhouse. I would love to chat with her more than with Mika!! 

 

I’m really sorry to hear that you were bullied in school, something we unfortunately both have in common with Mika... but you rose up from that and found your own way. I understand your past need to “show them”. You know what? I actually did with one of my bully teachers, but it was a very unsatisfying experience. Then and there I figured I can only fight and stand for me. And as soon as I became a mother, this feeling became even stronger: I only need to be special for my own little family 😊 and if that means mediocre to everyone else, then so be it. And in the end, I can imagine it’s one tool Mika talks about, something that is not decided by algorithms or strangers in the internet. But by us from within. Because that is authentic. And in the end I think Mika has a bigger fear for not being authentic, rather than being mediocre. (But please enlighten me, because it’s possible I may have not read it right) 

[mellody]

Video interview:

https://m.espresso.repubblica.it/video/dossier/bookz/bookz-mika-giocoso-come-winnie-puh-ribelle-come-il-budda-delle-periferie/14962/15060 

[Kumazzz]

1 hour ago, mellody said:

Video interview:

https://m.espresso.repubblica.it/video/dossier/bookz/bookz-mika-giocoso-come-winnie-puh-ribelle-come-il-budda-delle-periferie/14962/15060 

 

23 novembre 2020

https://m.espresso.repubblica.it/video/dossier/bookz/bookz-mika-giocoso-come-winnie-puh-ribelle-come-il-budda-delle-periferie/14962/15060

BookZ - Mika: Giocoso come Winnie Puh, ribelle come Il Budda delle periferie

Lo speciale BookZ

 

BookZ - I libri per la generazione Z è una serie dedicata alla lettura, con giovani protagonisti della musica, del cinema, dell’arte e del web che raccontano i libri della loro adolescenza.

 

Protagonista della quarta puntata di BookZ è Mika, che sceglie due libri del cuore: Il tao di Winnie Puh, una rilettura dei classici personaggi per l'infanzia in chiave filosofica, e Il Budda delle periferie, il romanzo di Hanif Kureishi sull'ascesa di un ragazzino angloindiano dai sobborghi di Londra all'alta società, nell'Inghilterra degli anni Settanta. Due libri che parlano di ricerca spirituale e di profondità nascoste nella leggerezza delle piccole cose.

 

Il cantautore racconta anche la sua vita tra città diverse - Beirut, Parigi, Londra, New York - e l'importanza della sua famiglia. Ma parla anche della dislessia, dell'adolescenza come periodo di grandi entusiasmi e di grandi tristezze, e della scoperta della sua voce: “mi dava la possibilità di sentirmi potente”, specie tra rapporti non sempre facili con i suoi coetanei.
Grande amante della lettura, Mika confessa di essere un appassionato dello scrittore americano George Saunders, che consiglia vivamente come bussola per capire il presente e le sue contraddizioni. Ma parla anche di X-Factor, e dei giovani artisti provenienti da tutte le parti d'Italia (“sono davvero l'Italia del futuro”) che ha incontrato lì: ragazzi che affrontano il rischio e si mettono a nudo, “perché il mondo virtuale non basta”.

• una produzione Gedi Visual
• di Sabina Minardi
• riprese di Sonny Anzellotti e Luciano Coscarella
• montaggio di Paolo Saracino
• illustrazioni di Eleonora Pepe
• coordinamento di produzione di Cinzia Comandè

BookZ - Mika: Playful like Winnie Puh, rebellious like The Buddha of the suburbs

The BookZ special

 

BookZ - Books for Generation Z is a series dedicated to reading, with young protagonists of music, cinema, art and the web who tell the books of their adolescence.

The protagonist of the fourth episode of BookZ is Mika, who chooses two books of the heart: Winnie Puh's Tao, a philosophical reinterpretation of the classic characters for children, and The Buddha of the suburbs, the novel by Hanif Kureishi on the rise of an Anglo-Indian kid from the London suburbs to high society in 1970s England. Two books that talk about spiritual research and depth hidden in the lightness of small things.

 

The singer-songwriter also talks about his life in different cities - Beirut, Paris, London, New York - and the importance of his family. But he also talks about dyslexia, adolescence as a period of great enthusiasm and great sadness, and the discovery of his voice: "it gave me the opportunity to feel powerful", especially between relationships that were not always easy with his peers.
A great lover of reading, Mika confesses that he is a fan of the American writer George Saunders, whom he highly recommends as a compass to understand the present and its contradictions. But he also talks about X-Factor, and about the young artists from all over Italy ("I'm really the Italy of the future") he met there: guys who take risks and get naked, "because the virtual world is not enough ".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Paoletta]

@Kumazzz thanks... so much... Eriko 

[Kumazzz]

RTL102.5

 

TikTok #duet with @rtl1025 Mika sembra un po’ incerto dall’esibizione della nostra Zac...😂🤷‍♀️ #XF2020 (tiktok.com)