Mika in Canadian Press 2022

Kumazzz · March 23, 2022

:canada:

Here is a thread for Canadian Press in 2022 !!

previous threads are

Kumazzz · March 23, 2022

Fugues April 2022

https://www.fugues.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/FuguesApr2022.pdf

☛ PDF file ; page 32 + 33 FuguesApr2022-p62+63.pdf

32 | FUGUES.COM

ENTREVUE | MIKA et ROB HALfORd

On parle « sortie »
avec Mika et Rob Halford

La pop star Mika et le leader de Judas Priest, Rob Halford, sont des icônes britanniques célèbres. Bien que deux générations les séparent — Mika a 38 ans et Halford en a 70 —, chacun a vécu dans le placard au sommet de sa renommée.

Les deux continuent de faire salle comble : Mika sera la tête d’affiche du Centre Bell le 9 avril

et les parrains du heavy metal, Judas Priest, seront en tête d’affiche de la Place Bell le 11 avril.

Lorsque j’ai rencontré Mika pour la première fois dans le Vieux-Montréal, en 2009, les tabloïds étaient obsédés par son orientation sexuelle depuis qu’il était au sommet des palmarès avec son premier album,
Life in Cartoon Motion.

Quand j’ai interrogé Mika sur les rumeurs concernant son homosexualité, il a détourné ma question comme un pro chevronné. Nous nous sommes ensuite assis ensemble devant un piano puis à un moment il s’est tourné vers moi, les jambes croisées, faisant semblant de tenir une cigarette, et a fait sa plus belle imitation de Freddie Mercury.

« Oui, dahling », a déclaré Mika à la Mercury. « Bonjour chéri ! »

Mika avait l’air fabuleusement féerique. « et il tient sa bière comme ça », a poursuivi Mika, imitant Mercury dans la célèbre interview télévisée britannique dans les coulisses du DVD Queen —we will Rock You: Live in Montreal 1981.

«et il en boit à peine !»
C’était comme si Mika et moi parlions en code. une décennie plus tard,
alors publiquement, Mika m’a dit : « Cette interview était tout droit sortie d’Absolutely fabulous ! »
À juste titre, la pièce maitresse émotionnelle de l’album No Place in Heaven
de Mika en 2015 est la belle ballade Last Party, une ode à Freddie Mercury.

« Cette chanson a commencé avec cette idée que j’avais, quand freddie a découvert qu’il avait le sida, il s’est enfermé dans une boite de nuit et a fait une fête folle pendant trois jours, avec de la drogue et tout », m’a dit Mika à l’époque. « C’était la pire chose à faire après avoir découvert ce genre de nouvelles, mais c’est ce qu’il a fait. C’est pourquoi cette chanson s’appelle Last Party, et c’est l’une des chansons les plus tristes que j’aie jamais entendues. »

La tristesse remplit également les souvenirs de Rob Halford à propos de
Mercury. Halford, qui a introduit le look du gars en cuir comme look signature
dans l’univers du rock métal, a lutté avec le placard de l’industrie du rock and
roll pendant plus de deux décennies, sans libération, incarné par la nuit où il
a vu Mercury dans un bar à Athènes, en Grèce.
« J’ai vu freddie, ça devait être au début des années 1980, et j’allais à Mykonos avec des amis de Londres via Athènes », m’a dit Halford. « Nous sommes arrivés à l’hôtel et avons fait ce que nous faisions tous alors — les clubs, les fêtes. dans un club, freddie était entouré de ses admirateurs à l’autre bout du bar. Nous étions deux navires passant dans la nuit. Il a fait signe, j’ai fait signe. L’endroit était bondé et nous n’avons jamais eu la chance de nous connecter. Le lendemain, nous sommes tous allés à Mykonos et j’étais sur une plage lorsque son yacht est passé. »

Halford a arrêté de boire et de se droguer en 1986. Non seulement il voulait vivre, m’a-t-il expliqué, mais il voulait protéger sa gamme vocale de quatre octaves. son coming-out lui a également sauvé la vie : il mène une vie de heavy metal fier et il est fier depuis sa sortie sur MtV en 1998 — la première icône du métal à annoncer qu’il est gai.
Aujourd’hui, Halford est adoré par les métalleux du monde entier, dont Lady Gaga.

« Pendant tant d’années, j’étais l’homme gai dans le placard du heavy metal », dit Halford. « C’était une double vie pour moi. Je ne pouvais pas aller dans des bars gais après un spectacle. Je ne pouvais pas sortir avec les miens à cause de la peur de faire du mal au groupe et à tous les autres. Ma vie était l’exemple classique de faire passer tout le monde en premier et de se mettre en second.
C’est le pire que vous puissiez vous faire. »

« Je pense que m’afficher ouvertement m’a sauvé la vie mentalement », ajoute Halford. « Nous traversons une angoisse mentale, alors que nous essayons de trouver la paix avec notre identité sexuelle. Partager notre vérité avec la famille, les ami.e.s et les collègues est incroyablement puissant et je pense que dans la communauté LGBtQ, nous sommes des personnes puissantes et fortes. Nous devons faire face à tant de refoulements. Nous sommes toujours frappés comme un ballon de football. Nous repoussons constamment.

Mon coming out sur MTV n’était pas prévu. Mais un énorme fardeau a été libéré et rien d’autre que du bien n’en est sorti. »

Quatorze ans après la sortie de Halford, Mika l’a fait en 2012, à la surprise de personne. Lorsque nous nous sommes parlé en 2019, il y avait une nouvelle génération de jeunes stars de la pop s’affichant ouvertement et fier.ère.s de le faire, qui grimpaient dans les palmarès. Alors j’ai demandé à Mika, s’il était plus facile d’être une pop star aujourd’hui que lorsqu’il est arrivé sur la scène.

Mika s’est arrêté un moment, puis a dit : « Cela dépend. Je pense qu’à certains égards, ça l’est. dans la
partie la plus cynique de notre entreprise, qui est la partie très commerciale, c’est plus facile maintenant.
Mais n’oublions pas que c’est plus facile dans un type de musique bien précis. Les autres genres musicaux
ne sont certainement pas aussi tolérants. et n’oublions pas que l’Amérique du Nord n’est pas le monde
et prendre l’Amérique du Nord comme le monde est une énorme erreur. Cela dit, il est dangereux de
faire des généralisations sur les individus et chacun doit traverser son propre parcours, son propre chemin,
ses propres défis. »

Mika sera la tête d’affiche du Centre Bell le 9 avril, avec en première partie Klô Pelgag, et Judas Priest
sera la tête d’affiche de la Place Bell le 11 avril, avec en première partie de Queensrÿche. 6
RiCHaRd BuRnett richard@bugsburnett.com
inFOS | POuR Les BILLets, VIsItez : www.eVeNKO.CA.

Google translator

Spoiler

INTERVIEW | MIKA and ROB HALFORD

We talk about "exit"
with Mika and Rob Halford

Pop star Mika and Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford are famous British icons. Although two generations separate them — Mika is 38 and Halford is 70 — each lived in the closet at the height of their fame.

The two continue to sell out: Mika will headline the Bell Center on April 9

and the godfathers of heavy metal, Judas Priest, will headline Place Bell on April 11.

When I first met Mika in Old Montreal in 2009, the tabloids had been obsessed with his sexual orientation ever since he topped the charts with his debut album,
Life in Cartoon Motion.

When I asked Mika about the rumors about his being gay, he deflected my question like a seasoned pro. We then sat together in front of a piano and at one point he turned to me, cross-legged, pretending to hold a cigarette, and did his finest Freddie Mercury impersonation.

"Yeah, dahling," Mika told the Mercury. " Hello dear ! »

Mika looked fabulously fairy. “and he holds his beer like that,” Mika continued, impersonating Mercury in the famous British TV interview behind the scenes of the DVD Queen—we will Rock You: Live in Montreal 1981.

“and he barely drinks it!”
It was as if Mika and I were speaking in code. a decade later,
so publicly, Mika told me: “This interview was straight out of Absolutely fabulous! »
Rightly so, the emotional centerpiece of the album No Place in Heaven
by Mika in 2015 is the beautiful ballad Last Party, an ode to Freddie Mercury.

"This song started with this idea that I had, when freddie found out he had AIDS, he locked himself in a night club and had a crazy party for three days, with drugs and everything Mika told me at the time. "It was the worst thing to do after finding out about this kind of news, but that's what he did. That's why this song is called Last Party, and it's one of the saddest songs I've ever heard. »

Sadness also fills Rob Halford's memories of
Mercury. Halford, who introduced the leather guy look as his signature look
in the rock metal universe, struggled with the rock industry closet and
roll for more than two decades, without release, embodied by the night he
saw Mercury in a bar in Athens, Greece.
“I saw freddie, it must have been in the early 1980s, and I was going to Mykonos with friends from London via Athens,” Halford told me. “We got to the hotel and did what we all did then — the clubs, the parties. in a club, freddie was surrounded by his admirers at the other end of the bar. We were two ships passing in the night. He waved, I waved. The place was packed and we never had a chance to connect. The next day we all went to Mykonos and I was on a beach when his yacht passed by. »

Halford quit drinking and doing drugs in 1986. Not only did he want to live, he explained to me, but he wanted to protect his four-octave vocal range. his coming out also saved his life: he lives a proud heavy metal life and has been proud since his release on MtV in 1998 — the first metal icon to announce he's gay.
Today, Halford is adored by metalheads around the world, including Lady Gaga.

“For so many years I was the gay man in the heavy metal closet,” says Halford. “It was a double life for me. I couldn't go to gay bars after a show. I couldn't go out with my people because of the fear of hurting the group and everyone else. My life was the classic example of putting everyone first and putting yourself second.
It's the worst you can do to yourself. »

“I think coming out openly saved my life mentally,” adds Halford. “We go through mental anguish as we try to find peace with our sexual identity. Sharing our truth with family, friends and colleagues is incredibly powerful and I believe that in the LGBtQ community we are powerful and strong people. We have to deal with so many pushbacks. We are still being hit like a soccer ball. We constantly push back.

My coming out on MTV was not planned. But a huge burden was released and nothing but good came of it. »

Fourteen years after Halford exited, Mika did it in 2012, to no one's surprise. When we spoke in 2019, there was a new generation of young pop stars showing off and proud to do so, climbing the charts. So I asked Mika, if it was easier to be a pop star today than when he arrived on the scene.

Mika paused for a moment, then said, “That depends. I think in some ways it is. in the
most cynical part of our business, which is the very commercial part, it's easier now.
But let's not forget that it's easier in a specific type of music. Other musical genres
are certainly not so tolerant. and let's not forget that North America is not the world
and taking North America as the world is a huge mistake. That said, it is dangerous to
make generalizations about individuals and each has to go through their own journey, their own path,
its own challenges. »

Mika will headline the Bell Center on April 9, with opening act Klô Pelgag and Judas Priest
will headline Place Bell on April 11, with opening act Queensrÿche. 6
RiCHaRd BuRnett richard@bugsburnett.com
inFOS | FOR TICKETS, VISIT: www.eVeNKO.CA.

Page 32

Page 33

Kumazzz · March 28, 2022

This is Greg Wells's interview.

He mentioned Mika in this interview.

TORONTO STAR

https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2022/03/25/meet-the-peterborough-born-music-producer-whos-worked-with-michael-bubl-taylor-swift-katy-perry-quincy-jones-and-john-legend-to-name-a-few.html

Meet the London, Ont.-born music producer who’s worked with Michael Bublé, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Quincy Jones and John Legend (to name a few)

Humber College music attendee, arranger, mixer, instrumentalist and songwriter, Greg Wells has accumulated 130 million album sales on projects to which he contributed.

Peterborough-born and Grammy-winning Humber College grad Greg Wells is executive producer of the newest, just-released Michael Bublé album "Higher." Overall, Wells has contributed to projects that have sold over 130 million albums, including Adele's "21" and numerous Katy Perry projects.

Music

Meet the London, Ont.-born music producer who’s worked with Michael Bublé, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Quincy Jones and John Legend (to name a few)

Humber College music attendee, arranger, mixer, instrumentalist and songwriter, Greg Wells has accumulated 130 million album sales on projects to which he contributed.

NK

By Nick KrewenSpecial to the Star

Fri., March 25, 2022

Record producer Greg Wells said he wasn’t sure if he was the right person to work with Michael Bublé on his new album “Higher” until he saw him in a dentist’s chair.

That’s no exaggeration: after a 15-minute phone call from Grammy and Juno Award winner Bublé pitching reasons why London, Ont.-born Wells should be the primary producer of his 11th studio album, Bublé FaceTimed Wells the next day … while he was undergoing dental surgery.

“He was in the middle of a four-hour dental surgery and it looked like a Nine Inch Nails video of his mouth just, you know, flayed open with these contraptions attached,” Wells recalled over the phone from his L.A. residence. “And I just thought, any celebrity that calls me during dental surgery looking like that is someone I have to work with.”

Wells, who produced seven of the 13 tracks that comprise “Higher,” which was out March 25, said his respect and admiration for the Burnaby, B.C.-born Bublé increased considerably once he got to know him.

“He’s the coolest person I’ve ever met and there’s something about him that’s very genuine. And he’s an equally amazing music maker. Once I realized that his biggest hits were all written by him, that started my realization that he has a real sense of what works for him as an artist and what doesn’t work for him.

“He’s also a hell of a songwriter and he was just a fantastic creative force to partner up with in making a record. We spent most of last year making this record and I can’t wait for people to hear it. It’s the proudest I’ve ever been of anything I’ve been involved with.”

If you don’t think that this Canadian is being particularly discerning due to the 70-million-plus sales track record of Bublé, let it be known that over his past few decades as a producer, arranger, mixer, instrumentalist and songwriter, Wells has accumulated 130 million album sales on projects to which he contributed.

Some of his accomplishments? He co-wrote “The Reason” with his then future mother-in-law, Carole King (he was previously married to Louise Goffin) for a Sir George Martin-produced Céline Dion track on her 1997 “Let’s Talk About Love” album, which sold 35 million copies worldwide; co-authored “One and Only” with Dan Wilson and Adele for the singer-songwriter’s 31-million-selling album “21”; and has produced tracks on Katy Perry’s three most popular albums — “One of the Boys,” “Teenage Dream” and “Prism” — on which he also shares contributing writer credits to the accumulative tune of 17 million album sales.

Wells, who studied music at Humber College, received his Grammy for producing and mixing the bestselling “The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”; produced OneRepublic’s breakthrough chart-topper “Apologize” and also the breakthrough project for Mika, “Life In Cartoon Motion,” which sold over six million albums worldwide, powered by the No. 1 U.K. hit “Grace Kelly.”

Taylor Swift, Rufus Wainwright, Burt Bacharach, Quincy Jones, Pink, Keith Urban and John Legend have all hired Wells in some capacity, and he’s worked on three acclaimed Lin-Manuel Miranda films, including “tick, tick… Boom!”

So to claim that the multi-instrumentalist is one of the top go-to guys in L.A. for his skills is somewhat of an understatement.

“My discography is pretty nuts,” Wells said. “It goes all over the place, just because I like all kinds of different music.”

Wells’ eclectic reputation was clearly why Bublé felt a delay in recording “Higher” was merited to accommodate the producer’s schedule.

“I’m really sensitive to feeling like I’m the right person for the job and I’ll be the first person to put my hand in there and say that I’m probably not,” said Wells in terms of securing clients. “In fact, in this instance, I did say ‘no’ initially to Michael.

“After I’d spoken to him a few times, I realized how busy I was. I had just made three movies in a row with Lin-Manuel Miranda and that’s a lot of work that takes a long time. I didn’t want to shortchange Michael: if I signed on to make most of his new album, I didn’t want him waiting around forever due to my schedule.

“And Michael said, ‘I’m going to get started on the record with one or two other producers, but I’m going to save a lot of it for you. I’m gonna wait until you’re free.’

“And he did, he waited three or four months!”

As with most accomplished individuals, success didn’t happen overnight.

The Greg Wells story began at his parents’ Peterborough home, where he grew up as the son of a United Church of Canada minister, learning to play several instruments after being waylaid in a wheelchair for a couple of years with Perthes disease. (His brother Rob, based in Toronto, would also become an accomplished songwriter and producer after a detour into graphic design.)

Fully recovered — and at the insistence of high school pal and saxophone player Kira Payne — Wells moved to Toronto at 17 to pursue music, attending the Humber College jazz program as a piano major. Payne also recommended that Wells apply for a Canada Council for the Arts grant to further his studies in Los Angeles.

“I started thinking if I really want to get deeply involved in the record business, there’s only one place on planet Earth where that happens: Los Angeles,” recalled Wells, who was also playing keyboards for Kim Mitchell at the time. “I was going to attend the Dick Grove School of Music in L.A., which is kind of like Berklee, and I applied to the council for a grant and forgot about it.

“Nine or 10 months later, a letter showed up saying I was approved. So I called Dick Grove and they said they were going bankrupt.”

After a bit of research, Wells convinced the Canada Council of the Arts to allow him to pursue private studies with piano teacher Terry Trotter (he composed the theme for “Everyone Loves Raymond” and has recorded with Frank Sinatra) and also Clare Fischer, best known as Prince’s go-to guy for string arrangements.

“That’s what led me here,” Wells said. “I assumed when the grant money ran out that I would be coming back to Toronto.”

But Trotter and Fischer kept recommending Wells for small recording sessions in L.A. as a demo piano player.

His first U.S. recording session was with eventual James Taylor backing singer David Lasley and, slowly, word-of-mouth built his reputation. Wells also toured with k.d. lang for part of her “Ingenue” jaunt, but things weren’t moving quickly enough and, after being frustrated for over a decade, he considered quitting the business altogether.

“I was going to move my young family to Salt Spring Island,” said Wells, who is married to songwriter Nina Woodford and lives with their six children in L.A., including two from his previous marriage to Goffin.

“I had my house on the market here in Los Angeles, but my manager at the time said, ‘Please give me one more year.’

“Ten months later, I got hired to produce this artist from London called Mika and we wound up selling six million records. It changed my career forever. That wouldn’t have happened had I unplugged from the business.”

Wells said perseverance will eventually pay off if you’re consistent.

“If you keep showing up and do the best work you can, and be a nice person that’s easy to work with while still remaining confident, at some point that combination will lead to some sort of success,” he said.

He recalls meeting Perry in early 2000 after she made a record with producer Glen Ballard (Alanis Morissette’s “Jagged Little Pill”) and had been dropped by her label before its release.

“Katy was obsessed with ‘Jagged Little Pill’ and she sought Glen out when she was 18 years old, making a full album that was gonna be her debut as Katy Perry, not Kate Hudson, her early Christian recording persona,” Wells said.

“I very luckily got called in as a young producer just starting out …

“We had recorded ‘Waking Up in Vegas,’ which wound up becoming a huge hit for her on her first (Capitol) album, but once it finally came out that she was without a deal, she asked if she could do a songwriting session with me regardless. And I’m like, ‘Of course, just come in. I don’t care that you don’t have a deal.’

“And people were asking, ‘Why are you working with Katy Perry? She’s old news. She’s washed up. Nothing’s gonna happen with her.’”

“But I knew they were wrong, because when Katy would walk into a room — and like how people would describe Marilyn Monroe — she would just light it up. She was just full of personality: a fantastic singer, a great songwriter and very bright and funny, a blast to be around. I’m so proud of her.

“We connected and we’re still good friends.”

Wells recalled a similar situation with OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder.

“I got asked to produce his band’s debut album and did, and he was just starting in Los Angeles as a songwriter and producer for hire for other people. Now Ryan’s career has now completely eclipsed mine. He’s a lovely guy, but he’s a guy that I’m happy when I see someone like him and Katy win — just really good people who are super talented and who work really hard. I try to recognize that stuff and help people do it.”

Currently working on Dolby Atmos mixes for the 2013 Twenty One Pilots album “Vessel,” which he produced, Wells has also been engaged in philanthropy: he offers his mixing services as a fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders; provides drum kits at his own expense to aspiring musicians and hands out Roland keyboards that are underwritten by the manufacturer.

“I just gave away my 19th drum kit to a kid in Philadelphia,” he said. “When I was a kid, we couldn’t afford to pay for one.

“So now I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to get drums into the hands of somebody, regardless of age or location, who wants drums but doesn’t have them in their lives for whatever reason?”

CORRECTION — MARCH 26, 2022: This story has been edited from an earlier version that said Greg Wells was born in Peterborough.

Kumazzz · March 31, 2022

:rolleyes: 　 This is totally unconfirmed information.

7jours

https://www.7jours.ca/2022/03/31/on-croit-que-cette-grande-star-sera-a-star-academie-ce-dimanche-et-voici-pourquoi

31 mars 2022 15H30

On croit que cette grande star sera à Star Académie ce dimanche, et voici pourquoi

Vanessa Hébert

L’équipe de Star Académie préparerait-elle une grosse surprise pour le Variété de ce dimanche 3 avril avec la venue d’une grande star internationale? Tout porte à croire que oui!

Au menu pour le Variété de ce dimanche, où Sarah-Maude, Éloi et Jérémy défendront leur place à l’Académie, le public aura également droit à des numéros avec Robert Charlebois, Dean Lewis ainsi qu’un numéro spécial pour souligner la sortie de l’album Star Académie 2022. À toutes ces performances s’ajoute également un numéro spécial de «playlist latino» avec un invité surprise qui ne sera dévoilé que le soir même.

Voilà qu’on pense avoir percé le mystère quant à l’identité de l’invité, en regardant les caméras 24/7.

En effet, un peu plus tôt jeudi, on a attrapé Camélia, Jérémy, Krystel et Julien en train de parler de nul autre que Mika!

En vue de leur medley en espagnol ce dimanche, le quatuor était en train de regarder quelles chansons ils allaient interpréter, alors que Kystel remarque qu'elle chantera la chanson Boom Boom Boom (le titre d'une pièce de Mika) avec l'invité. Automatiquement, Camélia fait le lien avec Mika, d'autant plus que les Académiciens remarquent un peu plus loin dans leur document une note disant que l'invité est heureux d'être de retour, laissant entendre qu'il a déjà été de passage à Star Académie dans le passé...

Rappelons que l’interprète de Grace Kelly était directeur artistique l’année dernière, pour la cuvée 2021 de Star Académie.

Fait intéressant à noter, Mika était sur le plateau de Star Académie il y a un an exactement, le 3 avril également, alors qu’il nous avait offert un numéro grandiose et coloré, à son image!

Comme le chanteur d’origine libanaise est en spectacle à Boston le samedi 2 avril, il lui serait facile de venir faire une petite apparition à Montréal dimanche, surtout qu’il n’a pas de spectacle à son horaire avant le mardi suivant.

Il sera d’ailleurs de passage dans la province très bientôt, soit à au Centre Vidéotron de Québec le 7 avril, au Centre Bell de Montréal le 9 avril ainsi qu’au Théâtre du Palais Municipal de Saguenay le 11 avril.

On ne doute pas qu’il nous en mettra plein la vue ce dimanche également... si c'est bien lui, évidemment! Pour en être bien certain, ne manquez pas le Variété de ce dimanche 3 avril, dès 19h à TVA et sur TVA+.

:uk: Google translator

Spoiler

We believe this big star will be at Star Académie this Sunday, and here's why

Vanessa Hebert

Is the Star Académie team preparing a big surprise for Variety this Sunday, April 3 with the arrival of a major international star? Everything seems to believe it so!

On the menu for Variété this Sunday, where Sarah-Maude, Éloi and Jérémy will defend their place at the Academy, the public will also be entitled to numbers with Robert Charlebois, Dean Lewis as well as a special number to mark the release of the Star Académie 2022 album. To all these performances is also added a special “Latino playlist” number with a surprise guest who will not be revealed until the same evening.

Now we think we have solved the mystery as to the identity of the guest, watching the cameras 24/7.

Indeed, a little earlier Thursday, we caught Camélia, Jérémy, Krystel and Julien talking about none other than Mika!

Ahead of their Spanish medley this Sunday, the quartet were looking at what songs they would be performing, as Kystel remarks that she will sing the song Boom Boom Boom (the title of a Mika piece) with the guest. . Automatically, Camélia makes the connection with Mika, especially since the Academicians notice a little later in their document a note saying that the guest is happy to be back, suggesting that he has already been to Star Academy in the past...

Recall that the interpreter of Grace Kelly was artistic director last year, for the 2021 vintage of Star Académie.

Interestingly, Mika was on the set of Star Académie exactly one year ago, also on April 3, when he offered us a grandiose and colorful number, in his image!

As the singer of Lebanese origin is performing in Boston on Saturday April 2, it would be easy for him to come and make a small appearance in Montreal on Sunday, especially since he does not have a show on his schedule until the following Tuesday.

He will also be visiting the province very soon, at the Videotron Center in Quebec City on April 7, at the Bell Center in Montreal on April 9 and at the Théâtre du Palais Municipal in Saguenay on April 11.

We have no doubt that he will amaze us this Sunday as well... if it's him, of course! To be sure, don't miss Variété this Sunday, April 3, from 7 p.m. on TVA and on TVA+.

Kumazzz · March 31, 2022

Échos vedettes

31 Mar 2022
MARIE-CLAUDE DOYLE

PRESSREADER https://www.pressreader.com/canada/echos-vedettes/20220331/page/49/textview

Pour sa tournée
LE GRAND RETOUR DE MIKA AU QUÉBEC!

L’an dernier, tant les Académiciens que le public sont tombés sous le charme de Mika, qui a relevé avec brio son mandat de directeur artistique à Star Académie. Le chanteur britannico-libanais avait d’ailleurs offert un numéro haut en couleur en compagnie des candidats de la cuvée 2021. Assez pour donner envie d’en avoir plus. Ça tombe bien, parce qu’il revient chez nous et fera trois escales dans la province dans le cadre de sa tournée The Rite of Spring, qu’il décrit comme «une célébration émotive et colorée du fait de tous nous retrouver ensemble à nouveau». La sensation pop européenne démarre sa tournée en sol nord-américain le 2 avril du côté de Boston. Après un arrêt à Brooklyn le 5 avril, Mika débarque au Centre Vidéotron, à Québec, le 7 avril, puis se rend au Centre Bell, à Montréal, le 9 avril, et au Théâtre du Palais municipal de La Baie, à Saguenay, le 11 avril.

Bien que peu d’information ait circulé sur Internet en ce qui concerne cette nouvelle tournée, on peut dire sans se tromper que les fans auront droit à un spectacle éclaté, à l’image du chanteur à qui l’on doit une vaste quantité de hits tels que Grace Kelly, Relax, Take It Easy et Lollipop. Il interprétera les chansons de son récent disque, My Name Is Michael Holbrook, lancé en octobre 2019.

page 3

page 49

Edited March 31, 2022 by Kumazzz

Kumazzz · April 2, 2022

La Voix de l'Est

2 Apr 2022
VALÉRIE MARCOUX Le Soleil

WEB https://www.lesoleil.com/2022/04/02/mika-la-pop-nest-pas-superficielle-88dc3c0e00e9ab3dbc0930f8d1304e4c

PRESSREADER https://pressreader.com/article/282969633583583

«LA POP N’EST PAS SUPERFICIELLE»

Ce printemps, l’icône internationale de la pop Mika s’embarque dans une tournée nord-américaine. Il s’arrêtera notamment à Montréal le 9 avril. Le Soleil a réussi à parler avec l’artiste juste avant qu’il ne s’envole de l’Italie pour une brève escale à Londres avant de se rendre à Boston. Entrevue.

Trois pays en vingt-quatre heures avec un essayage de costumes au milieu, ça va vite!

Franchement, je réalise que ça me stresse. Je suis prêt pour le travail, je me suis ressourcé, mais c’est le rythme de voyage et de vie qui, vraiment, est angoissant. On se rend compte qu’on est reparti et ça repart tellement vite! La rapidité du déplacement fait qu’on oublie complètement là où on est et on pense juste au travail.

Comment gérez-vous votre stress?

Je fais énormément de sport et je cuisine. Même quand je suis seul, je cuisine pour neuf personnes, parce que je sais seulement cuisiner pour ma famille. Donc, ensuite, je livre des choses à mes voisins ou je donne des trucs à mes potes. Ils ont tellement l’habitude qu’il y a presque un système en permanence où ils sont en train de me rendre mes assiettes et mes plats d’il y a une semaine.

L’autre chose que je fais quand vraiment le volume est trop haut et que ça part dans tous les sens, je me mets dans un bain avec l’eau tellement chaude que ça me casse.

Klô Pelgag assurera la première partie de vos spectacles au Québec. Qu’est-ce qui vous a incité à la choisir?

Je l’adore! J’ai demandé à mon promoteur et ma maison de disque de m’envoyer une petite sélection et c’était un choix complètement évident. Je la trouve excellente. Je trouve qu’elle a une créativité et une énergie dingue. J’aime ce qu’elle est en train de faire. On sent que c’est sérieux et que son parcours va être intéressant.

Vous avez évoqué des costumes et un essayage à Londres. À quoi peut-on s’attendre visuellement sur scène lors de vos spectacles?

C’est basé sur la couleur et l’énergie. Les vêtements sont très importants. C’est une sorte de métamorphose. Je me change pratiquement sur la scène. Je commence comme une version de moi-même et j’en deviens une autre.

J’ai commencé une nouvelle approche. Je travaille avec des designers moins connus et plus jeunes, et aussi avec des artisans.

Un artiste devrait toujours être préoccupé par le style et l’histoire plus que par la mode. On n’est pas censé vendre des choses. On est censé raconter des histoires avec nos habits.

Vous travaillez sur votre sixième album. À quoi peut-on s’attendre?

Mon album précédent, qui s’appelait My Name Is Michael Holbrook, était un album où j’étais en train de vivre des défis personnels : la maladie de ma mère, la disparition de ma mère… Cet album était un peu une recherche dans mon identité et dans l’histoire de mes parents pour comprendre d’où je viens et la personne que j’aimerais devenir.

Là, en revanche, je me retrouve avec un album où, tout d’un coup, il y a une liberté absurde, un lâcher-prise aussi. C’est comme si j’avais du vent sous les ailes et je ne sais pas d’où vient ce vent. Peutêtre est-ce l’esprit de tous les gens que j’aime et que j’ai perdus dans les dernières années qui sont en train de me porter avec une légèreté sérieuse. C’est ce que j’appelle un esprit un peu punk, mais très poétique à la fois et très pop.

La pop n’est pas quelque chose de superficiel. La pop peut te remplir le coeur, peut accélérer ton coeur, peut te rendre plus résistant à la vie et aux défis de tous les jours. Cet album est vraiment un hommage à ça.

Est-ce que les NordAméricains auront le droit à quelques-unes de vos nouvelles chansons lors de votre tournée?

Il va y avoir quelques surprises. Je me suis dit que c’est là que je peux expérimenter avant de fixer les choses. En même temps, le public aura toutes les chansons que tout le monde connaît et adore. C’est un mélange de tout.

La télévision semble vous avoir tenu occupé durant la pandémie…

Ouais, j’avais dit que je ne voulais plus faire de la télé et, tout à coup, il y a ma tournée qui a été annulée. J’ai eu beaucoup de chance par rapport à ça, car j’avais une manière de continuer à communiquer avec les gens et ça, c’est super important.

En revanche, je me suis fait une promesse. La télé, ça bouffe le temps et l’attention et même l’émotion. Le processus créatif est interrompu. Donc, je me suis dit que j’allais garder une discipline extrêmement stricte. Je voulais faire de la télé, mais aussi écrire, créer, être prêt avec de nouvelles idées, de nouvelles chansons et une nouvelle attitude quand tout recommence.

Vous venez tout de même d’accepter un gros contrat comme présentateur de l’Eurovision 2022 aux côtés d’Alessandro Cattelan et Laura Pausini…

C’est dingue! Il y a beaucoup plus d’écriture qu’on peut penser. C’est probablement l’émission de télé la plus grande au monde. C’est un moment très particulier pour l’Europe où l’idée de l’universalité qu’elle représente est vraiment en train d’être remise en question. Il faut absolument parler de ce qui se passe, mais il faut le faire de la bonne manière. Il faut provoquer de l’émotion et de l’empathie sans écraser la partie divertissement de ce concours. C’est un équilibre délicat. On n’est pas juste en train de présenter, on fait aussi des gestes artistiques et musicaux.

:uk: Google translator

Spoiler

“POP IS NOT SUPERFICIAL”

This spring, international pop icon Mika is embarking on a North American tour. He will notably stop in Montreal on April 9. The Sun managed to speak with the artist just before he flew from Italy for a brief stopover in London before heading to Boston. Interview.

Three countries in twenty-four hours with a costume fitting in the middle, it goes fast!

Frankly, I realize that it stresses me out. I'm ready for work, I've recharged my batteries, but it's the pace of travel and life that is really scary. We realize that we have left and it leaves so quickly! The speed of travel makes you completely forget where you are and just think about work.

How do you manage your stress?

I exercise a lot and I cook. Even when I'm alone, I cook for nine people, because I only know how to cook for my family. So then I deliver stuff to my neighbors or give stuff to my buddies. They are so used to it that there is almost a permanent system where they are giving me back my plates and my dishes from a week ago.

The other thing I do when the volume is really too high and it goes all over the place, I put myself in a bath with water so hot that it breaks me.

Klô Pelgag will open for your shows in Quebec. What made you choose her?

I love it! I asked my promoter and my record company to send me a small selection and it was a completely obvious choice. I find it excellent. I think she has a crazy creativity and energy. I like what she is doing. We feel that it is serious and that his career will be interesting.

You mentioned costumes and a fitting in London. What can we visually expect on stage during your shows?

It is based on color and energy. Clothes are very important. It's a kind of metamorphosis. I practically change on the stage. I start out as one version of myself and become another.

I started a new approach. I work with less known and younger designers, and also with artisans.

An artist should always be concerned with style and history more than fashion. We are not supposed to sell things. We're supposed to tell stories with our clothes.

You are working on your sixth album. What can we expect?

My previous album, which was called My Name Is Michael Holbrook, was an album where I was experiencing personal challenges: my mother's illness, my mother's disappearance... This album was a bit of a search in my identity and in the history of my parents to understand where I come from and the person I would like to become.

There, on the other hand, I find myself with an album where, all of a sudden, there is an absurd freedom, a letting go too. It's as if I had wind under my wings and I don't know where this wind is coming from. Maybe it's the spirit of all the people I love and have lost in the past few years who are carrying me with serious levity. It's what I call a bit of a punk spirit, but at the same time very poetic and very pop.

Pop is not superficial. Pop can fill your heart, can make your heart race, can make you more resilient to life and everyday challenges. This album is really a tribute to that.

Will North Americans get some of your new songs on your tour?

There are going to be a few surprises. I figured that's where I can experiment before I fix things. At the same time, the audience will have all the songs everyone knows and loves. It's a mixture of everything.

TV seems to have kept you busy during the pandemic…

Yeah, I said I didn't want to do TV anymore and suddenly my tour got cancelled. I was very lucky with that, because I had a way of continuing to communicate with people and that is super important.

Instead, I made myself a promise. TV eats up time and attention and even emotion. The creative process is interrupted. So, I told myself that I was going to keep an extremely strict discipline. I wanted to do TV, but also write, create, be ready with new ideas, new songs and a new attitude when it all starts again.

You have just accepted a big contract as presenter of Eurovision 2022 alongside Alessandro Cattelan and Laura Pausini…

That's crazy! There is a lot more writing than one might think. It's probably the greatest TV show in the world. This is a very special time for Europe where the idea of universality it represents is really being challenged. We absolutely have to talk about what is happening, but we have to do it in the right way. You have to provoke emotion and empathy without overwhelming the entertainment part of this contest. It's a delicate balance. We are not just presenting, we are also doing artistic and musical gestures.

Google translator :italia:

Spoiler

“Il POP NON È SUPERFICIALE”

Questa primavera, l'icona del pop internazionale Mika si imbarcherà in un tour in Nord America. Si fermerà in particolare a Montreal il 9 aprile. The Sun è riuscito a parlare con l'artista poco prima che volasse fuori dall'Italia per una breve sosta a Londra prima di dirigersi a Boston. Colloquio.

Tre paesi in ventiquattr'ore con una prova costume in mezzo, va veloce!

Francamente, mi rendo conto che mi stressa. Sono pronto per il lavoro, ho ricaricato le batterie, ma è il ritmo del viaggio e della vita che fa davvero paura. Ci rendiamo conto che siamo partiti e si riparte così velocemente! La velocità di viaggio ti fa dimenticare completamente dove sei e pensare solo al lavoro.

Come gestisci il tuo stress?

Mi alleno molto e cucino. Anche quando sono solo, cucino per nove persone, perché so cucinare solo per la mia famiglia. Quindi consegno cose ai miei vicini o do cose ai miei amici. Sono così abituati che c'è quasi un sistema permanente in cui mi restituiscono i miei piatti e i miei piatti di una settimana fa.
L'altra cosa che faccio quando il volume è davvero troppo alto e va dappertutto, mi metto a bagno con acqua così calda che mi rompe.

Klô Pelgag aprirà per i tuoi spettacoli in Quebec. Cosa ti ha spinto a sceglierla?

Lo adoro! Ho chiesto al mio promotore e alla mia casa discografica di inviarmi una piccola selezione ed è stata una scelta del tutto ovvia. lo trovo ottimo. Penso che abbia una creatività e un'energia pazze. Mi piace quello che sta facendo. Riteniamo che sia una cosa seria e che la sua carriera sarà interessante.

Hai menzionato i costumi e una prova a Londra. Cosa possiamo aspettarci visivamente sul palco durante i tuoi spettacoli?

Si basa sul colore e sull'energia. I vestiti sono molto importanti. È una specie di metamorfosi. Praticamente cambio sul palco. Inizio come una versione di me stesso e ne divento un'altra.
Ho iniziato un nuovo approccio. Lavoro con designer meno conosciuti e più giovani, e anche con artigiani.
Un artista dovrebbe sempre interessarsi allo stile e alla storia più che alla moda. Non dovremmo vendere cose. Dovremmo raccontare storie con i nostri vestiti.

Stai lavorando al tuo sesto album. Cosa possiamo aspettarci?

Il mio album precedente, che si chiamava My Name Is Michael Holbrook, era un album in cui stavo vivendo delle sfide personali: la malattia di mia madre, la scomparsa di mia madre... Questo album è stato un po' una ricerca nella mia identità e nella storia del mio genitori per capire da dove vengo e la persona che vorrei diventare.
Lì, invece, mi ritrovo con un album dove, all'improvviso, c'è una libertà assurda, anche un lasciarsi andare. È come se avessi il vento sotto le ali e non sapessi da dove viene questo vento. Forse è lo spirito di tutte le persone che amo e che ho perso in questi ultimi anni che mi stanno portando con seria leggerezza. È quello che chiamo un po' uno spirito punk, ma allo stesso tempo molto poetico e molto pop.
Il pop non è superficiale. Il pop può riempire il tuo cuore, può farti battere il cuore, può renderti più resiliente alla vita e alle sfide quotidiane. Questo album è davvero un tributo a questo.

I nordamericani riceveranno alcune delle tue nuove canzoni nel tuo tour?

Ci saranno alcune sorprese. Ho pensato che è lì che posso sperimentare prima di aggiustare le cose. Allo stesso tempo, il pubblico avrà tutte le canzoni che tutti conoscono e amano. È un misto di tutto.

La TV sembra averti tenuto occupato durante la pandemia...

Sì, ho detto che non volevo più fare TV e all'improvviso il mio tour è stato cancellato. Sono stato molto fortunato con questo, perché avevo un modo per continuare a comunicare con le persone e questo è molto importante.
Invece, mi sono fatto una promessa. La TV consuma tempo, attenzioni e persino emozioni. Il processo creativo viene interrotto. Quindi, mi sono detto che avrei mantenuto una disciplina estremamente severa. Volevo fare TV, ma anche scrivere, creare, essere pronto con nuove idee, nuove canzoni e un nuovo atteggiamento quando tutto ricomincia.

Hai appena accettato un grosso contratto come presentatore di Eurovision 2022 insieme ad Alessandro Cattelan e Laura Pausini...

Questo è pazzesco! C'è molto più da scrivere di quanto si possa pensare. Probabilmente è il più grande programma televisivo del mondo. Questo è un momento molto speciale per l'Europa in cui l'idea di universalità che rappresenta viene davvero messa in discussione. Dobbiamo assolutamente parlare di ciò che sta accadendo, ma dobbiamo farlo nel modo giusto. Devi provocare emozione ed empatia senza sopraffare la parte di intrattenimento di questa competizione. È un equilibrio delicato. Non stiamo solo presentando, stiamo anche facendo gesti artistici e musicali.

Kumazzz · April 2, 2022

Le Journal de Quebec WEEKEND
2 Apr 2022

RAPHAËL GENDRONMARTIN Le Journal de Montréal

☛

J’AI UN LIEN TRÈS DIRECT AVEC LE PUBLIC QUÉBÉCOIS

Mika était venu à Montréal en 2019 pour deux concerts intimes au Théâtre Corona.

Mika attendait depuis deux ans de venir jouer pour le public québécois. Après de nombreux reports, le coloré artiste européen viendra célébrer l’arrivée du printemps dans quelques jours avec sa nouvelle tournée, For the Rite of Spring. Le Journal a eu la chance de s’entretenir avec le musicien de 38 ans qui attend avec impatience de traverser l’océan pour venir nous voir.

Jusqu’à quel point êtes-vous excité de venir faire ces trois concerts au Québec ?

« Le Québec est une région qui est pour moi très importante. C’est pour ça aussi que je me suis investi autant l’année dernière dans Star Académie.

J’avoue que je suis juste ravi de ne pas devoir passer deux semaines en quarantaine pour pouvoir venir faire ces concerts. Parce que la dernière fois, c’était too much [rires] ! Ça fait tellement plaisir de se retrouver dans des circonstances un peu plus joyeuses et libres. »

Pourquoi avez-vous décidé d’appeler cette tournée For the Rite of Spring ?

« Le sacre du printemps, c’est un ballet de Stravinsky. Mais c’est aussi le titre d’un dessin que j’avais fait quand j’ai transformé Paris en la plus grande galerie éphémère au monde. Il y a un an, je voyais que tous les panneaux de publicité à Paris étaient vides. Ça m’a rendu triste. Habituellement, ils servent à annoncer des événements. Mais là, ils étaient juste morts. Avec un peu de lobbying, j’ai réussi à convaincre [la compagnie propriétaire des panneaux] pour qu’ils me les donnent. J’ai commissionné dix oeuvres d’art qui ont été exposées partout dans la ville. Je pense qu’on a fait 4000 panneaux de pub ! [...] Le printemps, c’est la renaissance. C’est là où on retrouve notre énergie, notre désir, notre envie. Je trouvais que c’était parfait pour une tournée qui repart après deux ans d’absence. »

En plus de Montréal, vous allez jouer pour la première fois à Québec et à Saguenay. Pourquoi allez-vous visiter ces nouveaux marchés ?

« C’était un désir du promoteur de me faire jouer là-bas. J’avoue que j’ai un lien très direct avec le public québécois. Mais je n’y vais pas assez. Et donc, j’avais envie de faire quelque chose qui n’était pas juste un concert à Montréal. [...] Est-ce qu’il y a toujours l’hiver chez vous ? C’est dingue parce que pour nous, c’est fini. J’ai un peu peur de confronter l’hiver. Mais sinon, tout va bien ! »

Klô Pelgag fera votre première partie pour ces trois concerts. Pourquoi l’avez-vous invitée ?

« J’ai demandé à des amis et aussi des promoteurs qui sont au Québec de m’envoyer les options des artistes les plus intéressants et excitants du moment. Et le choix était assez évident. [...] J’aime beaucoup ce qu’elle fait. J’aime la force artistique qu’elle dégage. Je voulais quelque chose de fort, pas juste quelqu’un de différent chaque soirée. C’était un choix très conscient, et je suis ravi qu’elle ait accepté de le faire. J’ai même essayé de l’avoir un peu plus dans la tournée américaine. Mais la logistique était trop difficile et elle n’était pas complètement disponible. On va commencer avec ça et on verra. Mais je suis très curieux de la voir sur scène. J’ai vu des vidéos et ça m’a plu énormément. »

Comment avez-vous vécu les deux années de pandémie en Europe ?

« Pour moi, ça a été vraiment une période suspendue. Ç’a permis un peu à mon cerveau de se remettre en ordre. Non seulement j’ai pu gérer plein de choses qui se sont passées dans ma vie. Mais aussi, j’ai pu un peu me poser et ne pas juste suivre un rythme frénétique qui ne me correspondait pas trop. [...] Ç’a été un mélange d’une période très douloureuse, parce qu’il y a eu plein de choses intenses qui se sont passées, et aussi d’une période d’instabilité d’un point de vue business. En même temps, peut-être que cette phase-là a sauvé mon processus créatif et potentiellement ouvert la porte sur la nouvelle phase de ma carrière. Parce que là, j’écris d’une manière complètement différente, avec une candeur qui est brûlante. C’est comme si toute ma musique et tous mes projets créatifs ont retrouvé une urgence et une raison d’être. »

Quels souvenirs gardez-vous de votre passage à Star Académie l’an dernier ?

« D’abord, que c’est très facile de penser qu’on est correct pour deux semaines [de quarantaine], tout seul dans une maison dans le bois, entouré par la neige. Mais en fait, j’avoue que c’était beaucoup plus difficile que ce que j’imaginais ! Cela dit, c’était probablement très utile. J’en avais besoin. J’avais besoin de me séparer du monde entier et de me concentrer sur quelque chose d’autre. [...] Sinon,

Star Académie, c’était très amusant. On a pu monter des moments de télé qui étaient très spectaculaires, dans une industrie où l’on a maintenant perdu un petit peu cette culture de la télé spectaculaire. »

Mika sera en spectacle à Québec (Centre Vidéotron, 7 avril), Montréal (Centre Bell, 9 avril) et Saguenay (Théâtre du Palais municipal, 11 avril).

Pour les infos https://www.mikasounds.com/

:uk: Google translator

Spoiler

I HAVE A VERY DIRECT LINK WITH THE QUEBEC PUBLIC

Mika came to Montreal in 2019 for two intimate concerts at the Corona Theater.

Mika had been waiting for two years to come and play for the Quebec public. After many postponements, the colorful European artist will come to celebrate the arrival of spring in a few days with his new tour, For the Rite of Spring. The Journal had the chance to speak with the 38-year-old musician who is impatiently waiting to cross the ocean to come see us.

How excited are you to come and do these three concerts in Quebec?

“Quebec is a region that is very important to me. This is also why I invested so much last year in Star Académie.

I admit that I am just delighted not to have to spend two weeks in quarantine to be able to come and do these concerts. Because the last time was too much [laughs]! It's so nice to find yourself in circumstances that are a little more joyful and free. »

Why did you decide to call this tour For the Rite of Spring?

“The Rite of Spring is a ballet by Stravinsky. But it's also the title of a drawing I did when I transformed Paris into the largest pop-up gallery in the world. A year ago, I saw that all the billboards in Paris were empty. It made me sad. Usually they serve to announce events. But there they were just dead. With a bit of lobbying, I managed to convince [the company that owns the signs] to give them to me. I commissioned ten works of art that were exhibited all over the city. I think we made 4000 billboards! […] Spring is rebirth. This is where we find our energy, our desire, our desire. I thought it was perfect for a tour that is leaving after two years of absence. »

In addition to Montreal, you will play for the first time in Quebec and Saguenay. Why are you going to visit these new markets?

“It was a desire of the promoter to have me play there. I admit that I have a very direct link with the Quebec public. But I don't go there enough. And so, I wanted to do something that wasn't just a concert in Montreal. [...] Is it always winter where you are? It's crazy because for us, it's over. I'm a little afraid to face winter. But otherwise, all is well! »

Klô Pelgag will be your first part for these three concerts. Why did you invite her?

“I asked friends and also promoters who are in Quebec to send me the options of the most interesting and exciting artists of the moment. And the choice was pretty obvious. [...] I really like what she does. I like the artistic force that it exudes. I wanted something strong, not just someone different every night. It was a very conscious choice, and I'm glad she agreed to make it. I even tried to have him a little more in the American tour. But the logistics were too difficult and she was not completely available. We'll start with that and we'll see. But I'm very curious to see her on stage. I saw videos and I liked it a lot. »

How did you experience the two years of pandemic in Europe?

“For me, it was really a suspended period. It helped my brain sort itself out a bit. Not only have I been able to manage a lot of things that have happened in my life. But also, I was able to settle down a bit and not just follow a frenetic pace that didn't really suit me. [...] It was a mixture of a very painful period, because there were lots of intense things that happened, and also a period of instability from a business point of view . At the same time, maybe that phase saved my creative process and potentially opened the door to the next phase of my career. Because here, I write in a completely different way, with a candor that is burning. It's as if all my music and all my creative projects have regained an urgency and a purpose. »

What memories do you have of your time at Star Académie last year?

"First, that it's very easy to think you're okay for two weeks [of quarantine], all alone in a house in the woods, surrounded by snow. But in fact, I admit that it was much more difficult than I imagined! That said, it was probably very useful. I needed it. I needed to separate myself from the whole world and focus on something else. [...] If not,

Star Academy was great fun. We were able to edit TV moments that were very spectacular, in an industry where we have now lost a little bit of this culture of spectacular TV. »

Google translate :italia:

Spoiler

HO UN COLLEGAMENTO MOLTO DIRETTO CON IL PUBBLICO DEL QUEBEC

Mika è venuto a Montreal nel 2019 per due concerti intimi al Corona Theatre.

Mika aspettava da due anni per venire a suonare per il pubblico del Quebec. Dopo tanti rinvii, il colorito artista europeo verrà a festeggiare l'arrivo della primavera tra pochi giorni con il suo nuovo tour, For the Rite of Spring. Il Journal ha avuto la possibilità di parlare con il musicista 38enne che aspetta con impazienza di attraversare l'oceano per venire a trovarci.

Quanto sei entusiasta di venire a fare questi tre concerti in Quebec?

“Il Quebec è una regione che è molto importante per me. Questo è anche il motivo per cui ho investito così tanto l'anno scorso in Star Académie.

Ammetto che sono solo felice di non dover passare due settimane in quarantena per poter venire a fare questi concerti. Perché l'ultima volta è stata troppo [ride]! È così bello trovarsi in circostanze un po' più gioiose e libere. »

Perché hai deciso di chiamare questo tour For the Rite of Spring?

“La sagra della primavera è un balletto di Stravinsky. Ma è anche il titolo di un disegno che ho realizzato quando ho trasformato Parigi nella più grande galleria pop-up del mondo. Un anno fa, ho visto che tutti i cartelloni pubblicitari di Parigi erano vuoti. Mi ha reso triste. Di solito servono per annunciare eventi. Ma lì erano semplicemente morti. Con un po' di lobbying, sono riuscito a convincere [l'azienda proprietaria delle insegne] a darmele. Ho commissionato dieci opere d'arte che sono state esposte in tutta la città. Penso che abbiamo realizzato 4000 cartelloni pubblicitari! […] La primavera è rinascita. È qui che troviamo la nostra energia, il nostro desiderio, il nostro desiderio. Ho pensato che fosse perfetto per un tour che parte dopo due anni di assenza. »

Oltre a Montreal, suonerai per la prima volta in Quebec e Saguenay. Perché visiterai questi nuovi mercati?

“Era un desiderio del promotore che io suonassi lì. Ammetto di avere un legame molto diretto con il pubblico del Quebec. Ma non ci vado abbastanza. E così, volevo fare qualcosa che non fosse solo un concerto a Montreal. [...] È sempre inverno dove sei? È pazzesco perché per noi è finita. Ho un po' paura di affrontare l'inverno. Ma per il resto va tutto bene! »

Klô Pelgag sarà la tua prima parte per questi tre concerti. Perché l'hai invitata?

“Ho chiesto agli amici e anche ai promotori che si trovano in Quebec di inviarmi le opzioni degli artisti più interessanti ed eccitanti del momento. E la scelta era abbastanza ovvia. [...] Mi piace molto quello che fa. Mi piace la forza artistica che emana. Volevo qualcosa di forte, non solo qualcuno diverso ogni notte. È stata una scelta molto consapevole e sono felice che abbia accettato di farcela. Ho anche provato ad averlo un po' di più nel tour americano. Ma la logistica era troppo difficile e lei non era completamente disponibile. Inizieremo con quello e vedremo. Ma sono molto curioso di vederla sul palco. Ho visto dei video e mi sono piaciuti molto. »

Come ha vissuto i due anni di pandemia in Europa?

“Per me è stato davvero un periodo sospeso. Ha aiutato il mio cervello a sistemarsi un po'. Non solo sono stato in grado di gestire molte cose che sono successe nella mia vita. Ma sono anche riuscito a sistemarmi un po' e non solo a seguire un ritmo frenetico che non mi si addiceva molto. […] È stato un misto di un periodo molto doloroso, perché sono successe tante cose intense, e anche un periodo di instabilità dal punto di vista lavorativo. Allo stesso tempo, forse quella fase ha salvato il mio processo creativo e potenzialmente ha aperto le porte alla fase successiva della mia carriera. Perché qui scrivo in un modo completamente diverso, con un candore che brucia. È come se tutta la mia musica e tutti i miei progetti creativi avessero riacquistato un'urgenza e uno scopo. »

Che ricordi hai del tuo tempo alla Star Académie l'anno scorso?

"Primo, che è molto facile pensare di stare bene per due settimane [di quarantena], tutto solo in una casa nel bosco, circondato dalla neve. Ma in effetti ammetto che è stato molto più difficile di quanto immaginassi! Detto questo, probabilmente è stato molto utile. Mi serviva. Avevo bisogno di separarmi dal mondo intero e concentrarmi su qualcos'altro. [...] Altrimenti,

Star Academy è stato molto divertente. Siamo stati in grado di modificare momenti TV molto spettacolari.

Star Academy è stato molto divertente. Siamo stati in grado di montare momenti TV molto spettacolari, in un settore in cui ora abbiamo perso un po' di questa cultura della TV spettacolare. »

Mika si esibirà in Quebec (Centre Vidéotron, 7 aprile), Montreal (Centre Bell, 9 aprile) e Saguenay (Théâtre du Palais municipal, 11 aprile).

Per info https://www.mikasounds.com/

Sara MG · April 2, 2022

È possibile avere una traduzione di questi articoli? Grazie

mellody · April 2, 2022

On 4/2/2022 at 2:57 PM, Sara MG said:

È possibile avere una traduzione di questi articoli? Grazie

I've added both translations in Italian to the original posts, just click on "Reveal hidden contents" under the Italian flag :italia:

Paoletta · April 2, 2022

On 3/31/2022 at 10:31 PM, Kumazzz said:

　 This is totally unconfirmed information.

7jours

https://www.7jours.ca/2022/03/31/on-croit-que-cette-grande-star-sera-a-star-academie-ce-dimanche-et-voici-pourquoi

31 mars 2022 15H30

On croit que cette grande star sera à Star Académie ce dimanche, et voici pourquoi

Vanessa Hébert

L’équipe de Star Académie préparerait-elle une grosse surprise pour le Variété de ce dimanche 3 avril avec la venue d’une grande star internationale? Tout porte à croire que oui!

Au menu pour le Variété de ce dimanche, où Sarah-Maude, Éloi et Jérémy défendront leur place à l’Académie, le public aura également droit à des numéros avec Robert Charlebois, Dean Lewis ainsi qu’un numéro spécial pour souligner la sortie de l’album Star Académie 2022. À toutes ces performances s’ajoute également un numéro spécial de «playlist latino» avec un invité surprise qui ne sera dévoilé que le soir même.

Voilà qu’on pense avoir percé le mystère quant à l’identité de l’invité, en regardant les caméras 24/7.

En effet, un peu plus tôt jeudi, on a attrapé Camélia, Jérémy, Krystel et Julien en train de parler de nul autre que Mika!

En vue de leur medley en espagnol ce dimanche, le quatuor était en train de regarder quelles chansons ils allaient interpréter, alors que Kystel remarque qu'elle chantera la chanson Boom Boom Boom (le titre d'une pièce de Mika) avec l'invité. Automatiquement, Camélia fait le lien avec Mika, d'autant plus que les Académiciens remarquent un peu plus loin dans leur document une note disant que l'invité est heureux d'être de retour, laissant entendre qu'il a déjà été de passage à Star Académie dans le passé...

Rappelons que l’interprète de Grace Kelly était directeur artistique l’année dernière, pour la cuvée 2021 de Star Académie.

Fait intéressant à noter, Mika était sur le plateau de Star Académie il y a un an exactement, le 3 avril également, alors qu’il nous avait offert un numéro grandiose et coloré, à son image!

Comme le chanteur d’origine libanaise est en spectacle à Boston le samedi 2 avril, il lui serait facile de venir faire une petite apparition à Montréal dimanche, surtout qu’il n’a pas de spectacle à son horaire avant le mardi suivant.

Il sera d’ailleurs de passage dans la province très bientôt, soit à au Centre Vidéotron de Québec le 7 avril, au Centre Bell de Montréal le 9 avril ainsi qu’au Théâtre du Palais Municipal de Saguenay le 11 avril.

On ne doute pas qu’il nous en mettra plein la vue ce dimanche également... si c'est bien lui, évidemment! Pour en être bien certain, ne manquez pas le Variété de ce dimanche 3 avril, dès 19h à TVA et sur TVA+.

Google translator

Reveal hidden contents

We believe this big star will be at Star Académie this Sunday, and here's why

Vanessa Hebert

Is the Star Académie team preparing a big surprise for Variety this Sunday, April 3 with the arrival of a major international star? Everything seems to believe it so!

On the menu for Variété this Sunday, where Sarah-Maude, Éloi and Jérémy will defend their place at the Academy, the public will also be entitled to numbers with Robert Charlebois, Dean Lewis as well as a special number to mark the release of the Star Académie 2022 album. To all these performances is also added a special “Latino playlist” number with a surprise guest who will not be revealed until the same evening.

Now we think we have solved the mystery as to the identity of the guest, watching the cameras 24/7.

Indeed, a little earlier Thursday, we caught Camélia, Jérémy, Krystel and Julien talking about none other than Mika!

Ahead of their Spanish medley this Sunday, the quartet were looking at what songs they would be performing, as Kystel remarks that she will sing the song Boom Boom Boom (the title of a Mika piece) with the guest. . Automatically, Camélia makes the connection with Mika, especially since the Academicians notice a little later in their document a note saying that the guest is happy to be back, suggesting that he has already been to Star Academy in the past...

Recall that the interpreter of Grace Kelly was artistic director last year, for the 2021 vintage of Star Académie.

Interestingly, Mika was on the set of Star Académie exactly one year ago, also on April 3, when he offered us a grandiose and colorful number, in his image!

As the singer of Lebanese origin is performing in Boston on Saturday April 2, it would be easy for him to come and make a small appearance in Montreal on Sunday, especially since he does not have a show on his schedule until the following Tuesday.

He will also be visiting the province very soon, at the Videotron Center in Quebec City on April 7, at the Bell Center in Montreal on April 9 and at the Théâtre du Palais Municipal in Saguenay on April 11.

We have no doubt that he will amaze us this Sunday as well... if it's him, of course! To be sure, don't miss Variété this Sunday, April 3, from 7 p.m. on TVA and on TVA+.

@Kumazzz ok thank.. merci

Kumazzz · April 2, 2022

Here is an interview with Greg Wells, he mentions Mika in this article.

The Peterborough Examiner

2 Apr 2022

NICK KREWIN

Up for two Grammys, Wells won’t be at ceremony

Peterborough-raised music producer Greg Wells is up for two Grammys during Sunday’s Grammy Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas but if he wins he won’t be accepting in person.

Now based in Los Angeles, Wells says he’s staying home out of an abundance of caution as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, David Friend of The Canadian Press reports.

The former Adam Scott Collegiate student is nominated along with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Nick Lloyd Weber for best musical theatre album for “Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella.”

Wells also mixed and co-produced the songs for the soundtrack for director Lin-Manuel Miranda’s movie musical “In The Heights,” which is nominated in the best compilation soundtrack for visual media category.

The 64th Grammy Awards will air Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS and Citytv.

Wells won his first Grammy in 2019 for best compilation soundtrack for visual media for the original motion picture soundtrack for the movie “The Greatest Showman.”

He also earned Grammy nominations for best dance recording in 2008 for Mika’s “Love Today” and album of the year for Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” album in 2011.

Wells has also worked with musicians John Legend, Adele, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Pink, OneRepublic, Aerosmith, Keith Urban, Pharrell Williams, Ariana Grande, Burt Bacharach and Celine Dion — and his latest project is with Canadian crooner Michael Bublé.

Wells said he wasn’t sure if he was the right person to work with Bublé on his new album “Higher” until he saw him in a dentist’s chair.

That’s no exaggeration: after a 15-minute phone call from Grammy and Juno Award winner Bublé pitching reasons why London, Ont.-born Wells should be the primary producer of his 11th studio album, Bublé FaceTimed Wells the next day … while he was undergoing dental surgery.

“He was in the middle of a four-hour dental surgery and it looked like a Nine Inch Nails video of his mouth just, you know, flayed open with these contraptions attached,” Wells recalled over the phone from his L.A. residence. “And I just thought, any celebrity that calls me during dental surgery looking like that is someone I have to work with.”

Wells, who produced seven of the 13 tracks that comprise “Higher,” which was released March 25, said his respect and admiration for the Burnaby, B.C.-born Bublé increased considerably once he got to know him.

“He’s the coolest person I’ve ever met and there’s something about him that’s very genuine. And he’s an equally amazing music maker. Once I realized that his biggest hits were all written by him, that started my realization that he has a real sense of what works for him as an artist and what doesn’t work for him.

“He’s also a hell of a songwriter and he was just a fantastic creative force to partner up with in making a record. We spent most of last year making this record and I can’t wait for people to hear it. It’s the proudest I’ve ever been of anything I’ve been involved with.”

If you don’t think that this Canadian is being particularly discerning due to the 70-million-plus sales track record of Bublé, let it be known that over his past few decades as a producer, arranger, mixer, instrumentalist and songwriter, Wells has accumulated 130 million album sales on projects to which he contributed.

Some of his accomplishments? He co-wrote “The Reason” with his then future mother-in-law, Carole King (he was previously married to Louise Goffin) for a Sir George Martin-produced Céline Dion track on her 1997 “Let’s Talk About Love” album, which sold 35 million copies worldwide; co-authored “One and Only” with Dan Wilson and Adele for the singer-songwriter’s 31-million-selling album “21”; and has produced tracks on Katy Perry’s three most popular albums — “One of the Boys,” “Teenage Dream” and “Prism” — on which he also shares contributing writer credits to the accumulative tune of 17 million album sales.

Wells, who studied music at Humber College, received his Grammy for producing and mixing the bestselling “The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”; produced OneRepublic’s breakthrough chart-topper “Apologize” and also the breakthrough project for Mika, “Life In Cartoon Motion,” which sold over six million albums worldwide, powered by the No. 1 U.K. hit “Grace Kelly.”

Taylor Swift, Rufus Wainwright, Burt Bacharach, Quincy Jones, Pink, Keith Urban and John Legend have all hired Wells in some capacity, and he’s worked on three acclaimed Lin-Manuel Miranda films, including “tick, tick… Boom!”

So to claim that the multi-instrumentalist is one of the top go-to guys in L.A. for his skills is somewhat of an understatement.

“My discography is pretty nuts,” Wells said. “It goes all over the place, just because I like all kinds of different music.”

Wells’ eclectic reputation was clearly why Bublé felt a delay in recording “Higher” was merited to accommodate the producer’s schedule.

“I’m really sensitive to feeling like I’m the right person for the job and I’ll be the first person to put my hand in there and say that I’m probably not,” said Wells in terms of securing clients. “In fact, in this instance, I did say ‘no’ initially to Michael.

“After I’d spoken to him a few times, I realized how busy I was. I had just made three movies in a row with Lin-Manuel Miranda and that’s a lot of work that takes a long time. I didn’t want to shortchange Michael: if I signed on to make most of his new album, I didn’t want him waiting around forever due to my schedule.

“And Michael said, ‘I’m going to get started on the record with one or two other producers, but I’m going to save a lot of it for you. I’m gonna wait until you’re free.’

“And he did, he waited three or four months!”

As with most accomplished individuals, success didn’t happen overnight.

The Greg Wells story began at his parents’ Peterborough home, where he grew up as the son of a Northminster United Church minister Bill Wells, learning to play several instruments after being waylaid in a wheelchair for a couple of years with Perthes disease. (His brother Rob, based in Toronto, would also become an accomplished songwriter and producer after a detour into graphic design.)