Kumazzz Posted May 11 Author Share Posted May 11 (edited) Corriere Fiorentino 11 May 2024 WEB https://corrierefiorentino.corriere.it/notizie/24_maggio_11/mika-si-racconta-le-mie-feste-nella-casa-in-toscana Pressreader https://pressreader.com/article/281492166410620 Gli orti, le ceramiche: Mika racconta la sua Toscana Il 19 luglio sarà per la prima volta al Lucca Summer Festival con il tour ricco di idee e colori. «Qui ho casa, nelle feste si mischiano conti e giardinieri» Un’esplosione di energia, colore e allegria, nel puro stile Mika. L’unica tappa italiana del tour europeo «Apocalypse Calypso» che la popstar brit-americano-libanese sta dedicando al suo ultimo album, Que ta tête fleurisse toujours, è attesa il 19 luglio in piazza Napoleone, al Lucca Summer Festival. «Non vedo l’ora. Ho sempre voluto partecipare a quel festival mitico», commenta Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr. (in arte Mika) in una conferenza stampa in streaming da Londra che l’italiano impeccabile e l’indistinguibile allure scanzonata (non superficiale) trasformano in una chiacchierata tra amici. «Lucca è perfetta per il mio unico concerto italiano dell’estate, che preannuncia tante altre attività che farò in Italia. Tra l’altro è ormai la mia seconda casa. Lì ho festeggiato il Capodanno con tutta la famiglia. Ho anche lanciato petardi in piazza con mio nipote; ma non ditelo a nessuno», dice l’artista che da sei anni ha una casa-studio sulle colline di Santa Maria a Marciola (Scandicci). «Non ho scelto la Toscana per la cucina. C’è un grosso problema: tutti i ristoranti di Firenze propongono gli stessi piatti, a prezzi impossibili. Amo piuttosto viaggiare un’ora per raggiungere uno dei migliori orti biologici d’Italia; comprare le ceramiche a Montelupo o i cestini dal mio amico Aldo a San Casciano; chiacchierare con le signore della Coop o condividere con Gianfranco Pampaloni, anarchico dell’argento, serate che sembrano film anni 60. Nelle mie feste in giardino si mischiano conti e giardinieri. Se non vuoi vivere questo, inutile che tu stia in Toscana», dice Mika. Poi rivela che proprio in Toscana ha ricucito uno strappo con il suo compagno Andreas Dermanis, con cui tra poco festeggerà 19 anni di relazione. «Avevamo litigato. Sentii il bisogno di fuggire. Dovevo entrare in una bolla per poter scrivere musica. Noleggiai un’auto, lasciai Londra e viaggiai da Nord a Sud: Piemonte, Brianza, Roma... L’ultimo giorno scoprii un piccolissimo paese sconosciuto (non Greve in Chianti, né Fiesole), dove trovai tanta energia: un posto perfetto per scrivere. Trovai casa, la sistemai, poi chiamai Andreas e gli dissi: “Il 9 luglio arriverà il fonico; se vieni l’8 bene, altrimenti capirò. Arrivò». La Toscana li riunì. Il mix culturale mi ha portato a essere naïf e per questo sempre un po’ rifiutato Ho risposto con un atteggiamento da enfant terrible e il pubblico mi ha capito Oltre a riproporre le sue hit (da Grace Kelly a We Are Golden, Blame It On The Girls e Rain) a Lucca presenterà le 12 tracce dell’unico album interamente in francese. «Questo album mi ha riconnesso con i miei colori, senza diluirli, senza aver paura di esprimermi in totale libertà; e ha permesso alla gente di entrare nella mia testa e nella mia vita in relazione al mio rapporto con la Francia», spiega l’artista che nell’ultima settimana si è esibito in 5 Paesi, cantando in 4 lingue diverse. «Quando ho iniziato a fare questi salti mortali avevo 25 anni; adesso inizio a cercare le vitamine, come mia nonna che prima di un momento importante andava verso lo zucchero», commenta. L’energia non gli manca, anzi. «Sono super-felice di portare in Italia uno show che mischia il teatro con il mio mondo musicale che, come le culture da cui provengo, è multiforme: è pop ma va verso la classica e l’elettronica. Apocalypse Calypso è un tour molto ambizioso, saturo di idee, colori, grafiche, animazioni... Penserete di stare a teatro, poi vi ritroverete a ballare come in un rave degli anni 90 a Manchester. E ci saranno chicche esclusive per l’Italia», annuncia il cantante e showman libanese che con il suo album di debutto, Life In Cartoon Motion ,ha registrato ad oggi oltre 2,8 miliardi di stream, e si è fatto conoscere dal pubblico televisivo come giudice di X Factor Italia, con il suo varietà Stasera Casa Mika e con la co-conduzione degli Eurovision 2022, da Torino. «L’Italia a Malmoe ha una grande chance con Angelina Mango, fortissima», dice. E promette di raccontare attraverso la musica il suo rapporto con l’Italia, con la consueta ludica allegria. «L’allegria infantile è una forma di resistenza. Il mix culturale mi ha portato ad essere naïf e, per questo, sempre un po’ rifiutato (a scuola, in conservatorio, dalle case discografiche): ho risposto con un atteggiamento da enfant terrible. Il pubblico mi ha capito». Google tranlator Spoiler The vegetable gardens, the ceramics: Mika talks about his Tuscany On July 19th you will be at the Lucca Summer Festival for the first time with the tour full of ideas and colours. «Here I have a home, at parties counts and gardeners mix» An explosion of energy, color and joy, in pure Mika style. The only Italian stop on the «Apocalypse Calypso» European tour that the British-American-Lebanese pop star is dedicating to her latest album, Que ta tête fleurisse toujours, is expected on July 19th in Piazza Napoleone, at the Lucca Summer Festival. "I can't wait. I have always wanted to participate in that mythical festival", comments Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr. (aka Mika) in a press conference streamed from London which his impeccable Italian and indistinguishable light-hearted (not superficial) allure transform into a chat between friends . «Lucca is perfect for my only Italian concert of the summer, which heralds many other activities that I will do in Italy. Among other things, it is now my second home. I celebrated New Year's Eve there with the whole family. I also threw firecrackers in the square with my nephew; but don't tell anyone", says the artist who has had a home-studio on the hills of Santa Maria a Marciola (Scandicci) for six years. «I didn't choose Tuscany for the cuisine. There is a big problem: all the restaurants in Florence offer the same dishes, at impossible prices. I rather love traveling an hour to reach one of the best organic gardens in Italy; buy ceramics in Montelupo or baskets from my friend Aldo in San Casciano; chatting with the ladies of the Coop or sharing evenings that seem like 60s films with Gianfranco Pampaloni, silver anarchist. In my garden parties, accounts and gardeners mix. If you don't want to experience this, there's no point in staying in Tuscany", says Mika. She then reveals that it was in Tuscany that she mended a rift with her partner Andreas Dermanis, with whom she will soon celebrate 19 years of relationship. «We had argued. I felt the need to escape. I had to get into a bubble to be able to write music. I rented a car, left London and traveled from North to South: Piedmont, Brianza, Rome... On the last day I discovered a very small, unknown town (not Greve in Chianti, nor Fiesole), where I found a lot of energy: a perfect place for write. I found the house, I fixed it up, then I called Andreas and told him: “The sound engineer will arrive on July 9th; if you come on the 8th fine, otherwise I will understand. I arrive". Tuscany brought them together. The cultural mix led me to be naive and therefore always a little rejected. I responded with an enfant terrible attitude and the public understood me In addition to re-proposing his hits (from Grace Kelly to We Are Golden, Blame It On The Girls and Rain) in Lucca he will present the 12 tracks of the only album entirely in French. «This album reconnected me with my colors, without diluting them, without being afraid to express myself in total freedom; and it allowed people to enter my head and my life in relation to my relationship with France", explains the artist who in the last week has performed in 5 countries, singing in 4 different languages. «When I started doing these somersaults I was 25 years old; now I'm starting to look for vitamins, like my grandmother who used to turn to sugar before an important moment", she comments. He doesn't lack energy, on the contrary. «I am super happy to bring to Italy a show that mixes theater with my musical world which, like the cultures I come from, is multifaceted: it is pop but goes towards classical and electronic. Apocalypse Calypso is a very ambitious tour, saturated with ideas, colours, graphics, animations... You will think you are at the theatre, then you will find yourself dancing like in a 90s rave in Manchester. And there will be exclusive goodies for Italy", announces the Lebanese singer and showman who with his debut album, Life In Cartoon Motion, has recorded over 2.8 billion streams to date, and has made himself known to the television audience as a judge on X Factor Italia, with his variety show Stasera Casa Mika and with the co-hosting of Eurovision 2022, from Turin. «Italy in Malmoe has a great chance with Angelina Mango, very strong», he says. And he promises to tell his relationship with Italy through music, with the usual playful joy. «Childish joy is a form of resistance. The cultural mix led me to be naive and, for this reason, always a little rejected (at school, at the conservatory, by record companies): I responded with the attitude of an enfant terrible. The public understood me." page 11 Edited May 11 by Kumazzz update 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kumazzz Posted May 11 Author Share Posted May 11 1 minute ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said: https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2024/05/11/mika-a-fqmagazine-le-polemiche-a-eurovision-su-israele-giusto-esprimersi-in-pace-e-non-con-la-violenza-in-tour-mi-perdo-nella-sana-follia/7543905/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1VLCLaT5goCmr8W9RY_AjEtTmOE29OH7ef1oNS5Q6IHkU9-0SHfluyjSE_aem_AQYpbJPTWSI_CXokkNDkH3_geLgh75WO9v4HNO9ZSPubQuKWEE_SdPM1pJOxi8lZvYvq1D1cdysYiJSakYX2zGlw The article is posted https://www.mikafanclub.com/topic/36745-mika-in-italian-press-2024/?do=findComment&comment=4301051 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kumazzz Posted May 11 Author Share Posted May 11 La Repubblica Firenze WEB https://firenze.repubblica.it/cronaca/2024/05/11/news/mika_lucca_summer_festival_concerto_firenze PDF file ( 2 pages / 302 kb ) La Repubblica Firenze 11 Maggio 2024_p.1-p.10.pdf page 1 Il cantante sar al Lucca Summer Festival Lo sho Mika sar in piazza Napoleone a Lucca il 19 luglio Mika racconta la sua Toscana “Le feste in giardino con panettieri e conti” The singer will be at the Lucca Summer Festival The Mika show will be in Piazza Napoleone in Lucca on July 19th Mika talks about her Tuscany “Garden parties with bakers and counts” page 10 La spesa, gli amici la Toscana di Mika “Qui ho trovato il mio posto del cuore” C il Mika libanese. Quello france se. Quello inglese. E quello italia no, che si divide tra Milano e un ca solare nella campagna intorno a Fi renze. Qui, nel 2018, la popstar multicolor e multitasking ha trova to la quadratura al cerchio della sua vita, in un momento non faci le: «Litigai con il mio compagno da 19 anni, Andreas Dermanis, e non feci troppi discorsi. Noleggiai unauto, chiamai unagenzia e in tre giorni girai lItalia per cercare un posto dove chiudermi nella mia bolla e scrivere canzoni - rac conta - Sono stato in Brianza, poi a sud di Roma e, giusto lultimo gior no sono approdato in questo picco lo paese toscano a me sconosciu to, dove ho sentito unenergia che mi piaceva. Non un borgo noto, come Greve in Chianti o Fiesole, ma molto defilato, appartato, otti mo per comporre. Appena finiti i lavori per realizzarvi lo studio di re gistrazione, ho chiamato Andreas: sono in Toscana, da domani inizio a lavorare al mio nuovo album. Se mi raggiungi ok, altrimenti capir . Lui corso, e oggi adora la Tosca na. Figuriamoci, un mezzo greco delle montagne, tutto ceramiche e animali. La Toscana ci ha riuniti». La scelta di Lucca come unica citt italiana toccata dal suo Apoca lipse Calypso Tour, il 19 luglio in piazza Napoleone per il Summer Festival, dunque naturale, oltre che daffezione («a Lucca ho tra scorso il Capodanno sparando pe tardi nelle piazza del centro, ma forse non dovrei svelarlo»). E invi ta la popstar a raccontare la “sua” Toscana per la prima volta, rom pendo la proverbiale riservatezza: «Non dir mai che lho scelta per il cibo - ride, di una risata bambina - anche perch a Firenze i ristoranti cucinano gli stessi piatti a prezzi impossibili e a misura di turista. Io preferisco fare la spesa nel vivaio vicino a Lucca dove c un piccolo orto biologico a costo di viaggiare per unora, poi c il mio amico Al do che fa i cesti a San Casciano, ci sono i ceramisti di Montelupo o la narchico dellargento Gianfranco Pampaloni con cui passo serate che sembrano il teatro dellassur do di Ionesco, nella sua fabbrica. Conosco tutte le lavoratrici delle Coop di San Casciano e di Montelu po. E quando organizzo una festa in giardino, fondamentale che ci siano tutti, dal conte al panettiere. Altrimenti perch mai avrei dovu to scegliere la Toscana?». Nel momento in cui torna a fare concerti, sul palcoscenico Mika vuole «costruire un mondo, ispira to da grandi come David Bowie o David Byrne. Lo spettacolo per me non la promozione di un nuovo album, ma uno show con un inizio ed una fine, che magari dica qual cosa di nuovo. Dentro c il mio eclettismo che mescola pop, classi ca, elettronica, c il mio essere li banese, inglese, francese, italiano. I concerti cos sono una sfida per ch significa sperimentare, anda re oltre lo schema, adattarli ai luo ghi dove approdano. Anche in Ita lia sar cos, ma nessun omaggio, parola che non sopporto. La scelta delle canzoni, secondo me, vale pi delle parole». Lallegria il collante di un live teatralissimo e ballatissimo, «co me un rave a Manchester negli an ni Novanta. la mia forma di resi stenza, e spero che rimarr anche quando avr 80 anni. Io la chiamo joie engage, goia impegnata. In realt come una bestia che mi abita non quando faccio la spesa, ma sul palco. Se non ci fosse, a que stora sarei a estrarre succo di me le nella campagna americana o a Ibiza a perdermi nelle cattive abi tudini che non mi sono permesso in giovent ». Ed anche uno stu pore infantile «che mi permette di parlare di cose normal mente taciute, di dare valore a ci che non considerato, a spinge re la discussione su di versi livelli di coscien za e a provocare rispo ste distinto, come fa ceva la psichedelia. Il calore della mia origi ne libanese si mesco lato con la coolness francese e inglese, i look stravaganti di mia madre mi hanno influenzato Lucca Summer Festival Lunica data italiana dellApocalipse Calypso Tour di Mika sar a Lucca, il 19 luglio, in piazza Napoleone per il Summer Festival f Per me il concerto non la promozione di un album, ma uno show dove dentro c il mio eclettismo tanto quanto quelli control latissimi, alla Mister Ri pley, di mio padre. Un mix che ha fatto di me qualcosa di difficile da inscatolare fin da bam bino, e che ha suscita to il rifiuto delle perso ne che ho avuto accan to: prima dei compa gni di classe, poi delle case discografiche. So no un enfant terrible, che in italiano per suona male». I colori come lotta ai dolori privati: la perdi ta della madre, che un giorno gli fece un au gurio indimenticato, Que ta t te fleurisse tou jours, che la tua testa fiorisca sempre: Mika lo ha scelto come titolo del nuovo album, il primo in francese. Il dolo re come antidoto ai tanti strazi del presente. Alle guerre. E Mika la guerra lha vista in faccia, quando era piccolo, a Beirut, da cui fu co stretto a fuggire: «Nel concerto c la testimonianza di una donna liba nese a cui, il giorno del suo matri monio, hanno bombardato la casa. Lei ha perso un occhio, e anche il futuro marito, che non lha pi vo luta sposare perch sfregiata. Una storia cos assurda da sembrare una commedia, eppure lei la rac conta senza lacrime, senza pathos. In scaletta, subito dopo le sue paro le io canto Any other world, una canzone su un mondo dove tutto quello che sta accadendo non si ve rificherebbe. E sulla futilit : a cosa sono serviti i 25 anni di guerra in Li bano, finestra del Medioriente sul lEuropa, paese dove coabitavano cultura e religioni diverse e oggi frantumato in mille pezzi, popola to da tanti poveri e pochi ricchi che hanno rubato? Chi ha vinto? E cosa ha vinto?». Google translator Spoiler Shopping, friends, Mika's Tuscany “Here I found my favorite place” There is the Lebanese Mika. The French one. The English one. And the Italian one, which is divided between Milan and a small town in the countryside around Florence. Here, in 2018, the multicolored and multitasking pop star found the square to the circle of her life, in a difficult moment: «I argued with my partner of 19 years, Andreas Dermanis, and I didn't have too many conversations. I rented a car, called an agency and in three days I toured Italy looking for a place to lock myself in my bubble and write songs - he says - I was in Brianza, then south of Rome and, just on the last day I landed in this peak country Tuscan, unknown to me, where I felt an energy that I liked. Not a well-known village, like Greve in Chianti or Fiesole, but very secluded, secluded, excellent for composing. As soon as the work to build the recording studio was finished, I called Andreas: I'm in Tuscany, I'll start working on my new album from tomorrow. If you reach me ok, otherwise I will understand. He ran, and today he loves Tosca na. Imagine, a half-Greek from the mountains, all ceramics and animals. Tuscany brought us together." The choice of Lucca as the only Italian city touched by his Apoca Lipse Calypso Tour, on 19 July in Piazza Napoleone for the Summer Festival, is therefore natural, as well as out of affection («in Lucca I spent New Year's Eve shooting late in the central squares, but maybe I shouldn't reveal it"). And she invites the pop star to tell her story about her Tuscany for the first time, breaking the proverbial confidentiality: «Never say that I chose it for the food - she laughs, with a childish laugh - also because in Florence the restaurants cook the same dishes at impossible and tourist-friendly prices. I prefer to do the shopping in the nursery near Lucca where there is a small organic vegetable garden at the cost of traveling for an hour, then there is my friend Al do who makes baskets in San Casciano, there are the ceramists of Montelupo or the silver narcotic Gianfranco Pampaloni with whom I spend evenings that seem like Ionesco's theater of the absurd, in his factory. I know all the workers of the Coops of San Casciano and Montelu po. And when I organize a garden party, it is essential that everyone is there, from the count to the baker. Otherwise why would I ever have chosen Tuscany? When he returns to concerts, on stage Mika wants to «build a world, inspired by greats like David Bowie or David Byrne. For me, the show is not the promotion of a new album, but a show with a beginning and an end, which perhaps says something new. Inside there is my eclecticism that mixes pop, classical, electronic, there is my being Banian, English, French, Italian. Concerts like this are a challenge because it means experimenting, going beyond the norm, adapting them to the places where they land. It will be like this in Italy too, but no homage, a word I can't stand. The choice of songs, in my opinion, is worth more than words." He makes joy the glue of a highly theatrical and highly danced live show, «like a rave in Manchester in the Nineties. It's my form of resistance, and I hope it will remain even when I'm 80. I call it joie engage. In reality it's like a beast that inhabits me not when I'm shopping, but on stage. If it weren't there, right now I would be extracting apple juice in the American countryside or in Ibiza losing myself in bad habits that I didn't allow myself in my youth." And also a childish stupor "which allows me to talk about things normally left unsaid, to give value to what is not considered, to push the discussion onto different levels of consciousness and to provoke distinct responses, as psychedelia did . The warmth of my Lebanese origins mixes with French and English coolness, my mother's extravagant looks influenced me Lucca Summer Festival The only Italian date of Mika's Apocalipse Calypso Tour will be in Lucca, on 19 July, in Piazza Napoleone for the Summer Festival f For me the concert is not the promotion of an album, but a show where there is my eclecticism as much as my father's very controlled, Mister Ripley style. A mix that made me something difficult to box in since I was a child, and which aroused rejection from the people around me: first from my classmates, then from the record companies. I'm not an enfant terrible, which in Italian sounds bad." Colors as a fight against private pain: the loss of his mother, who one day made him an unforgettable wish, Que ta t te fleurisse tou jours, may your head always flourish: Mika chose it as the title of the new album, the first in French. Pain is an antidote to the many torments of the present. To wars. And Mika saw the war in the face, when he was little, in Beirut, from which he was forced to flee: «In the concert there is the testimony of a Lebanese woman whose house was bombed on her wedding day. She lost an eye, and so did her future husband, who no longer wanted to marry her because she was scarred. A story so absurd that it seems like a comedy, yet she tells it without tears, without pathos. In the setlist, immediately after I talk about her I sing Any other world, a song about a world where everything that is happening would not happen. And on futility: what was the point of the 25 years of war in Lebanon, the Middle East's window onto Europe, a country where different cultures and religions coexisted and today shattered into a thousand pieces, populated by many poor people and a few rich people who stole? Who won? And what did he win? page 1 page 10 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellody Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 1 hour ago, Kumazzz said: Direi assolutamente Jane Birkin. Oh I really hope he'll remember that he wants to play that in Lucca! 😅 Would love to hear it again. It's interesting to see the same interview interpreted by different magazines. So his grandmother didn't give HIM sugar, but for her it was sugar that helped her, but for him it's vitamins? And maybe the press conference was earlier during his tour and he talked about previous gigs re. the 5 countries? It still was 6 then, but that he forgets one is more understandable than if he forgets 5. I hope the "working on the English album" wasn't just the journalist's wishful thinking - they seem to be a bit creative with their texts! 😅🙈 And I love that he comments on Eurovision and the demonstrations. This topic is a minefield and I think he found a good diplomatic way to express his opinion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juless Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 2 hours ago, Kumazzz said: "Instead, in the competition it is right that there is no political reference in the songs. And I really believe that in 'Hurricane' there are none." That is very disappointing In fact, there is a clear political message and EBU even asked them to rewrite the song if they wanted to participate. I don't understand why he answers that, especially to defend a government (because this is mainly a propaganda song) who is openly bombing innocent civils and also Lebanon! This take, coming from the man who used to be involved in defending important causes, is suprising and very upsetting. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenBigFat Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 (edited) 2 hours ago, Juless said: That is very disappointing In fact, there is a clear political message and EBU even asked them to rewrite the song if they wanted to participate. I don't understand why he answers that, especially to defend a government (because this is mainly a propaganda song) who is openly bombing innocent civils and also Lebanon! This take, coming from the man who used to be involved in defending important causes, is suprising and very upsetting. Just a gentle reminder that the current unbearable situation is a response to the unbearable and unprovoked murder of other innocent civilians, some of whom are still being held in captivity. Edited May 11 by QueenBigFat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Ko Kolkowska Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 2 minutes ago, QueenBigFat said: Just a gentle reminder that the current unbearable situation was begun because of the unbearable murder of other innocent civilians, some of whom are still being held in captivity. Just an another gentle reminder that the moment you are mentioning was caused by 75 years of oppression and occupation of Palestine land and nation. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenBigFat Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 (edited) 9 minutes ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said: Just an another gentle reminder that the moment you are mentioning was caused by 75 years of oppression and occupation of Palestine land and nation. The history of this region is complicated, long, and has not ever been resolved by greater minds than mine on both sides. I do not think attempting to have a wide and ultimately dangerous (to this site) conversation about it here will benefit anyone. But to just focus on the current ongoing situation without mentioning what triggered it is not in my view telling even the current story. Edited May 11 by QueenBigFat 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krysady Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 2 hours ago, Juless said: In fact, there is a clear political message and EBU even asked them to rewrite the song if they wanted to participate. And they did rewrite the lyrics, isn't? I don't follow Eurovision this year, but I read about that somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Ko Kolkowska Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 6 minutes ago, krysady said: And they did rewrite the lyrics, isn't? I don't follow Eurovision this year, but I read about that somewhere. Yes, at the beginning they didn't want to but finally the changed some parts. And they changed the title fro October Rain to Hurricane. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaela Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 59 minutes ago, QueenBigFat said: Just a gentle reminder that the current unbearable situation is a response to the unbearable and unprovoked murder of other innocent civilians, some of whom are still being held in captivity. "Unprovoked" is definitely an interesting choice of words. And why do we need the "reminder"? Does anything justify the murder of tens of thousands of innocent civilians? Does anything justify the bombing and starving of a trapped population? Does anything justify the kidnapping of women, men and children, and the construction of concentration camps for the men, as revealed by CNN yesterday? Israel's response to October 7th is disproportionate, i don't think any civicilized people need to have a discussion about that anymore at this point. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaela Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 53 minutes ago, QueenBigFat said: The history of this region is complicated, long, and has not ever been resolved by greater minds than mine on both sides. I do not think attempting to have a wide and ultimately dangerous (to this site) conversation about it here will benefit anyone. But to just focus on the current ongoing situation without mentioning what triggered it is not in my view telling even the current story. Yeah no making excuses for the IOF is not it. This did not start on October 7th, it started in 1948. You cannot view the rise of Hamas in a vacuum 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krysady Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 Maybe it's better to stick with the topic of this thread and not turn it into a political discussion, this is not the proper place for that. The subject it's complicated and I think Mika gave a very diplomatic and valid answer to that question. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenBigFat Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 (edited) 49 minutes ago, Jaela said: Yeah no making excuses for the IOF is not it. This did not start on October 7th, it started in 1948. You cannot view the rise of Hamas in a vacuum The way you frame your statement is actually my point about looking at this in a vacuum. The area was partitioned in 1948, but the entire story started waaaay before that. Depends on which side is telling the story. Edited May 11 by QueenBigFat Oops, @krysady, I did not see your post. Sorry. I totally agree. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusanT Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 Getting back to Mika and this quote: I think having an opinion is important and expressing that opinion peacefully and not with violence is equally important. The two factions also expressed themselves during the demonstrations held in Milan. Right so. Instead, in the competition it is right that there is no political reference in the songs. And I really believe that in 'Hurricane' there are none. This is a moment of suffering and sadness, many civilians suffer in an unthinkable way, so yes it is right to express oneself about all this, but in peace. : I don't think Mika was trying to defend a particular government. The EBU (European Broadcasting Union) has approved Hurricane, Israel's present submission (as you can read at the link below), so apparently the officials believe the song no longer contains political references. Mika might be familiar with their statement or perhaps he has read the two versions of the lyrics, which everyone can easily find on the Internet. https://eurovision.tv/mediacentre/frequently-asked-questions-israel-24 Mika didn't say whether or not Israel should be allowed to participate, which was the interviewer's question. I can understand why he chose not to give a direct answer. If he had expressed a clear opinion that I disagreed with, I would have been disappointed. But then, I like Mika for his music and personality. As long as he is on the side of goodness, I can disagree with him on issues. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaela Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 1 hour ago, QueenBigFat said: The way you frame your statement is actually my point about looking at this in a vacuum. The area was partitioned in 1948, but the entire story started waaaay before that. Depends on which side is telling the story. I mean yeah, the groundwork for the zionist occupation of Palestinian land was laid before 1948 ofc, but I'm just taking the nakba as the starting point of the full scale oppression, repression and displacement of the Palestinian people. What happened back then is still affecting what is happening today and thwarted the peaceful coexistence of people before that time. We're on a Mika fan forum though, I wasn't gonna go into that much detail when simply pointing out to you that October 7th cannot be an excuse for what Israel is doing right now, nor did the October 7th attacks happen "out of nowhere". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paoletta Posted May 12 Share Posted May 12 ieri sera ho rivisto Mika sinfonia pop su "Sky documentari" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFC_Hasi Posted May 12 Share Posted May 12 On 5/11/2024 at 12:50 PM, mellody said: As I said, he needs more cake. @MFC_Hasi Where? When? Let‘s do this 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paoletta Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 then they made peace because Mika's mother made them reconcile, Mika had explained it in an interview On 5/11/2024 at 1:59 PM, Kumazzz said: Corriere Fiorentino 11 May 2024 WEB https://corrierefiorentino.corriere.it/notizie/24_maggio_11/mika-si-racconta-le-mie-feste-nella-casa-in-toscana Pressreader https://pressreader.com/article/281492166410620 Gli orti, le ceramiche: Mika racconta la sua Toscana Il 19 luglio sarà per la prima volta al Lucca Summer Festival con il tour ricco di idee e colori. «Qui ho casa, nelle feste si mischiano conti e giardinieri» Un’esplosione di energia, colore e allegria, nel puro stile Mika. L’unica tappa italiana del tour europeo «Apocalypse Calypso» che la popstar brit-americano-libanese sta dedicando al suo ultimo album, Que ta tête fleurisse toujours, è attesa il 19 luglio in piazza Napoleone, al Lucca Summer Festival. «Non vedo l’ora. Ho sempre voluto partecipare a quel festival mitico», commenta Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr. (in arte Mika) in una conferenza stampa in streaming da Londra che l’italiano impeccabile e l’indistinguibile allure scanzonata (non superficiale) trasformano in una chiacchierata tra amici. «Lucca è perfetta per il mio unico concerto italiano dell’estate, che preannuncia tante altre attività che farò in Italia. Tra l’altro è ormai la mia seconda casa. Lì ho festeggiato il Capodanno con tutta la famiglia. Ho anche lanciato petardi in piazza con mio nipote; ma non ditelo a nessuno», dice l’artista che da sei anni ha una casa-studio sulle colline di Santa Maria a Marciola (Scandicci). «Non ho scelto la Toscana per la cucina. C’è un grosso problema: tutti i ristoranti di Firenze propongono gli stessi piatti, a prezzi impossibili. Amo piuttosto viaggiare un’ora per raggiungere uno dei migliori orti biologici d’Italia; comprare le ceramiche a Montelupo o i cestini dal mio amico Aldo a San Casciano; chiacchierare con le signore della Coop o condividere con Gianfranco Pampaloni, anarchico dell’argento, serate che sembrano film anni 60. Nelle mie feste in giardino si mischiano conti e giardinieri. Se non vuoi vivere questo, inutile che tu stia in Toscana», dice Mika. Poi rivela che proprio in Toscana ha ricucito uno strappo con il suo compagno Andreas Dermanis, con cui tra poco festeggerà 19 anni di relazione. «Avevamo litigato. Sentii il bisogno di fuggire. Dovevo entrare in una bolla per poter scrivere musica. Noleggiai un’auto, lasciai Londra e viaggiai da Nord a Sud: Piemonte, Brianza, Roma... L’ultimo giorno scoprii un piccolissimo paese sconosciuto (non Greve in Chianti, né Fiesole), dove trovai tanta energia: un posto perfetto per scrivere. Trovai casa, la sistemai, poi chiamai Andreas e gli dissi: “Il 9 luglio arriverà il fonico; se vieni l’8 bene, altrimenti capirò. Arrivò». La Toscana li riunì. Il mix culturale mi ha portato a essere naïf e per questo sempre un po’ rifiutato Ho risposto con un atteggiamento da enfant terrible e il pubblico mi ha capito Oltre a riproporre le sue hit (da Grace Kelly a We Are Golden, Blame It On The Girls e Rain) a Lucca presenterà le 12 tracce dell’unico album interamente in francese. «Questo album mi ha riconnesso con i miei colori, senza diluirli, senza aver paura di esprimermi in totale libertà; e ha permesso alla gente di entrare nella mia testa e nella mia vita in relazione al mio rapporto con la Francia», spiega l’artista che nell’ultima settimana si è esibito in 5 Paesi, cantando in 4 lingue diverse. «Quando ho iniziato a fare questi salti mortali avevo 25 anni; adesso inizio a cercare le vitamine, come mia nonna che prima di un momento importante andava verso lo zucchero», commenta. L’energia non gli manca, anzi. «Sono super-felice di portare in Italia uno show che mischia il teatro con il mio mondo musicale che, come le culture da cui provengo, è multiforme: è pop ma va verso la classica e l’elettronica. Apocalypse Calypso è un tour molto ambizioso, saturo di idee, colori, grafiche, animazioni... Penserete di stare a teatro, poi vi ritroverete a ballare come in un rave degli anni 90 a Manchester. E ci saranno chicche esclusive per l’Italia», annuncia il cantante e showman libanese che con il suo album di debutto, Life In Cartoon Motion ,ha registrato ad oggi oltre 2,8 miliardi di stream, e si è fatto conoscere dal pubblico televisivo come giudice di X Factor Italia, con il suo varietà Stasera Casa Mika e con la co-conduzione degli Eurovision 2022, da Torino. «L’Italia a Malmoe ha una grande chance con Angelina Mango, fortissima», dice. E promette di raccontare attraverso la musica il suo rapporto con l’Italia, con la consueta ludica allegria. «L’allegria infantile è una forma di resistenza. Il mix culturale mi ha portato ad essere naïf e, per questo, sempre un po’ rifiutato (a scuola, in conservatorio, dalle case discografiche): ho risposto con un atteggiamento da enfant terrible. Il pubblico mi ha capito». Google tranlator Reveal hidden contents The vegetable gardens, the ceramics: Mika talks about his Tuscany On July 19th you will be at the Lucca Summer Festival for the first time with the tour full of ideas and colours. «Here I have a home, at parties counts and gardeners mix» An explosion of energy, color and joy, in pure Mika style. The only Italian stop on the «Apocalypse Calypso» European tour that the British-American-Lebanese pop star is dedicating to her latest album, Que ta tête fleurisse toujours, is expected on July 19th in Piazza Napoleone, at the Lucca Summer Festival. "I can't wait. I have always wanted to participate in that mythical festival", comments Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr. (aka Mika) in a press conference streamed from London which his impeccable Italian and indistinguishable light-hearted (not superficial) allure transform into a chat between friends . «Lucca is perfect for my only Italian concert of the summer, which heralds many other activities that I will do in Italy. Among other things, it is now my second home. I celebrated New Year's Eve there with the whole family. I also threw firecrackers in the square with my nephew; but don't tell anyone", says the artist who has had a home-studio on the hills of Santa Maria a Marciola (Scandicci) for six years. «I didn't choose Tuscany for the cuisine. There is a big problem: all the restaurants in Florence offer the same dishes, at impossible prices. I rather love traveling an hour to reach one of the best organic gardens in Italy; buy ceramics in Montelupo or baskets from my friend Aldo in San Casciano; chatting with the ladies of the Coop or sharing evenings that seem like 60s films with Gianfranco Pampaloni, silver anarchist. In my garden parties, accounts and gardeners mix. If you don't want to experience this, there's no point in staying in Tuscany", says Mika. She then reveals that it was in Tuscany that she mended a rift with her partner Andreas Dermanis, with whom she will soon celebrate 19 years of relationship. «We had argued. I felt the need to escape. I had to get into a bubble to be able to write music. I rented a car, left London and traveled from North to South: Piedmont, Brianza, Rome... On the last day I discovered a very small, unknown town (not Greve in Chianti, nor Fiesole), where I found a lot of energy: a perfect place for write. I found the house, I fixed it up, then I called Andreas and told him: “The sound engineer will arrive on July 9th; if you come on the 8th fine, otherwise I will understand. I arrive". Tuscany brought them together. The cultural mix led me to be naive and therefore always a little rejected. I responded with an enfant terrible attitude and the public understood me In addition to re-proposing his hits (from Grace Kelly to We Are Golden, Blame It On The Girls and Rain) in Lucca he will present the 12 tracks of the only album entirely in French. «This album reconnected me with my colors, without diluting them, without being afraid to express myself in total freedom; and it allowed people to enter my head and my life in relation to my relationship with France", explains the artist who in the last week has performed in 5 countries, singing in 4 different languages. «When I started doing these somersaults I was 25 years old; now I'm starting to look for vitamins, like my grandmother who used to turn to sugar before an important moment", she comments. He doesn't lack energy, on the contrary. «I am super happy to bring to Italy a show that mixes theater with my musical world which, like the cultures I come from, is multifaceted: it is pop but goes towards classical and electronic. Apocalypse Calypso is a very ambitious tour, saturated with ideas, colours, graphics, animations... You will think you are at the theatre, then you will find yourself dancing like in a 90s rave in Manchester. And there will be exclusive goodies for Italy", announces the Lebanese singer and showman who with his debut album, Life In Cartoon Motion, has recorded over 2.8 billion streams to date, and has made himself known to the television audience as a judge on X Factor Italia, with his variety show Stasera Casa Mika and with the co-hosting of Eurovision 2022, from Turin. «Italy in Malmoe has a great chance with Angelina Mango, very strong», he says. And he promises to tell his relationship with Italy through music, with the usual playful joy. «Childish joy is a form of resistance. The cultural mix led me to be naive and, for this reason, always a little rejected (at school, at the conservatory, by record companies): I responded with the attitude of an enfant terrible. The public understood me." page 11 si ma fu anche merito della mamma di Mika a farli riappacificare come raccontò Mika in una intervista 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenBigFat Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 25 minutes ago, Paoletta said: then they made peace because Mika's mother made them reconcile, Mika had explained it in an interview si ma fu anche merito della mamma di Mika a farli riappacificare come raccontò Mika in una intervista hi… could you translate some more here to explain what this is about? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlotteL Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 40 minutes ago, QueenBigFat said: hi… could you translate some more here to explain what this is about? Thanks! The new interview talks about how Mika and Andy reunited in (and thanks to) Tuscany after a fight. You can read an English translation of pretty much every written interview by clicking on "reveal hidden contents". Paoletta is pointing out that it was also thanks to Mika's mother that they made peace again, as he's said that in previous interviews. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellody Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 I didn't see this posted here yet: https://www.sorrisi.com/musica/mika-il-mio-animo-allegro-non-e-una-maschera-ma-resistenza-alla-gravita-della-vita/ Mika: «Il mio animo allegro non è una maschera, ma resistenza alla gravità della vita» In attesa del suo concerto il 19 luglio al Lucca Summer Festival, l'artista si racconta Se Mika se fosse un prodotto artigianale sarebbe un importantissimo marchio "Glocal". In effetti la sua "policy" è chiara: parlare al mondo ma con un'attenzione enorme ai dettagli, ai contesti locali. Il 19 luglio, in una cornice perfetta per la sua cifra umana e artistica, lo troveremo al Lucca Summer Festival per il suo nuovo tour, l'"Apocalypse Calypso", un ciclo di date europee gigantesco nel quale canterà in quattro lingue diverse con un approccio che sarà da opera pop. «Sono super felice di fare questo show in Italia perché mostra bene la mia natura eclettica e libera» dice «in fondo io vengo da tante culture e un mio show non può che fare la stessa cosa». Lo show, figlio del suo ultimo album in lingua francese "Que ta tête fleurisse toujours" (significa "Che la tua testa possa fiorire sempre") sta portando, anche in paesi dove il francese non è solitamente ascoltato, a un grande successo di pubblico (e critica). «Credo stia funzionando perché certi meccanismi classici del singolo di successo e poi del disco, sono erosi. Le persone sono curiose di vedere cose diverse e nuove». Talmente nuove che, come ha affermato, la sua alternanza nello show tra parti cantate e parti parlate saranno "un allenamento" per un progetto che arriverà nel 2025 anche in Italia. La sua attenzione al globale e al locale si respira in ogni sua parola, nell'incontro con la stampa nel quale (come sempre) riesce a spaziare tra tantissimi temi con enorme consapevolezza. «Avere un'opinione è molto importante» dice, per esempio, parlando delle proteste avvenute durante l'Eurovision Song Contest «è importante che tanta sofferenza e tristezza di tanti civili si traduca in protesta, è tutto lecito finché i toni sono civili e pacifici». Parlando di Eurovision ha parlato diAngelina Mango: «Il suo è un brano folk, ma anche fortemente italiano, lei è super forte, si vede la differenza quando gli artisti sono selezionati con un processo rigido e in qualche modo brutale». Ha comunque espresso grande amore per la Svizzera e per Nemo (le dichiarazioni arrivano poche ore prima della sua vittoria). Dai grandi temi europei è poi passato a parlare della sua vita in Toscana (eccolo il Mika "glocal") terra del suo concerto estivo, ma anche luogo scelto come uno dei posti dove avere una casa e vivere. «La casa l'ho scelta alla fine di un lungo viaggio dopo un litigio con il mio compagno con cui sto da ormai 19 anni. Volevo cambiare, sono partito da Londra e sono andato dal nord al sud dell'Italia con l'idea, semplicemente, di scappare. Dalla Brianza sono sceso verso Roma e poi alla fine del viaggio ho trovato le energie che volevo in Toscana, luogo che mi sembrava perfetto per scrivere musica». «La Toscana mi ha rapito non per il cibo, ma per l'umanità delle persone, dei suoi piccoli artigiani di ceramiche, di intreccio dei cestini, della lavorazione dell'argento. Conosco tutte le donne dei mercati. Ecco: non è il cibo che mi rende felice ma sono le persone che mi danno il cuore, tutta la loro umanità». Durante il concerto a Lucca Summer Festival, Mika promette una scaletta dedicata all'Italia con un "omaggio" molto speciale che scopriremo proprio in occasione del concerto. «Non chiamiamolo omaggio però: gli omaggi sono così noiosi. Diciamo che sarà un racconto del mio legame con l'Italia, ho bisogno di spiegare cose molto profonde. E il pubblico di questo Festival sarà perfetto, perché questo non è un pubblico che pensa a tutt'altro e ti ascolta distratto. È un pubblico che viene lì perché vuole sentirti nel senso più profondo della parola». Preparatevi quindi a un concerto molto speciale, scenograficamente eccezionale, con tutta l'intelligente leggerezza che da sempre lo contraddistingue: «Il mio animo allegro non è una maschera ma una resistenza alla gravità della vita. Il privilegio di essere su un palco non può non darti il coraggio per farlo, anche se con un sorriso sulle labbra e con grande leggerezza è sempre finalizzata a lottare contro "la bestia", l'aspetto più crudele del vivere che è anche la ragione per cui faccio musica. Altrimenti coltiverei mele in America. Preferisco perdermi in questa follia». Google translation Spoiler Mika: «My cheerful soul is not a mask, but resistance to the gravity of life» While waiting for his concert on July 19th at the Lucca Summer Festival, the artist talks about himself If Mika were an artisanal product he would be a very important "Glocal" brand. In fact, his "policy" is clear: speak to the world but with enormous attention to detail, to local contexts. On July 19th, in a perfect setting for his human and artistic talent, we will find him at the Lucca Summer Festival for his new tour, the "Apocalypse Calypso", a gigantic cycle of European dates in which he will sing in four different languages with a approach that will be from pop opera. «I'm super happy to do this show in Italy because it shows my eclectic and free nature well» he says «after all I come from many cultures and a show of mine can only do the same thing». The show, the son of his latest French-language album “Que ta tête fleurisse toujours” (means “May your head always flourish”) is leading, even in countries where French is not usually heard, to great public success (and criticism). «I think it's working because certain classic mechanisms of the hit single and then the album are eroded. People are curious to see different and new things." So new that, as he stated, his alternation in the show between singing and speaking parts will be “training” for a project that will also arrive in Italy in 2025. His attention to the global and the local can be felt in his every word, in the meeting with the press in which (as always) he manages to range between many topics with enormous awareness. «Having an opinion is very important» he says, for example, speaking of the protests that took place during the Eurovision Song Contest «it is important that so much suffering and sadness of many civilians is translated into protest, everything is permissible as long as the tones are civil and peaceful ». Speaking about Eurovision you talked about Angelina Mango: «Her song is a folk song, but also strongly Italian, she is super strong, you can see the difference when the artists are selected with a rigid and somewhat brutal process». However, he expressed great love for Switzerland and for Nemo (the statements came a few hours before their victory). From the great European themes he then moved on to talk about his life in Tuscany (here is the "glocal" Mika), land of his summer concert, but also a place chosen as one of the places to have a home and live. «I chose the house at the end of a long journey after an argument with my partner who I have been with for 19 years now. I wanted to change, I left London and went from the north to the south of Italy with the idea, simply, of escaping. From Brianza I headed down to Rome and then at the end of the journey I found the energy I wanted in Tuscany, a place that seemed perfect for writing music." «Tuscany captivated me not for its food, but for the humanity of its people, of its small ceramic artisans, of basket weaving, of silver working. I know all the women in the markets. Here: it's not the food that makes me happy but it's the people who give me their hearts, all their humanity." During the concert at Lucca Summer Festival, Mika promises a setlist dedicated to Italy with a very special "homage" that we will discover on the occasion of the concert. «Let's not call it an homage though: homages are so boring. Let's say it will be a story of my bond with Italy, I need to explain very profound things. And the audience at this Festival will be perfect, because this is not an audience that thinks of anything else and listens to you distracted. It's an audience that comes there because they want to hear you in the deepest sense of the word." So get ready for a very special concert, spectacularly exceptional, with all the intelligent lightness that has always distinguished it: «My cheerful soul is not a mask but a resistance to the gravity of life. The privilege of being on a stage cannot but give you the courage to do it, even if with a smile on your lips and with great lightness it is always aimed at fighting against "the beast", the cruelest aspect of living which is also the reason why I make music. Otherwise I would grow apples in America. I prefer to get lost in this madness." 3 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellody Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 1 minute ago, mellody said: The privilege of being on a stage cannot but give you the courage to do it, even if with a smile on your lips and with great lightness it is always aimed at fighting against "the beast", the cruelest aspect of living which is also the reason why I make music. I wonder what he means by "the beast" - I suppose it refers to the "gravity of life" that he talks about before ... but what does he mean by it? ageing? death? depression? He has said before that music helps him to overcome the dark moments in life... maybe he wants to leave it open to interpretation, because that darkness or "beast" might mean something different for everyone. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 On 4/11/2024 at 7:08 AM, Kumazzz said: How long has it been since you returned to your problematic Lebanon? «A few years. In 2021 the state gave me the highest honor and passport for the “I Love Beirut” charity concert. Then I wrote an article critical of Lebanese politics in Le Monde and... poof! Everything vanished." Wait, what? Does he mean he's not allowed there now? How ridiculously petty of the Lebanese authorities. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paoletta Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 On 5/13/2024 at 7:22 PM, CharlotteL said: The new interview talks about how Mika and Andy reunited in (and thanks to) Tuscany after a fight. You can read an English translation of pretty much every written interview by clicking on "reveal hidden contents". Paoletta is pointing out that it was also thanks to Mika's mother that they made peace again, as he's said that in previous interviews. @CharlotteL yes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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