mika in ROLLING STONE

[paula.pop]

cute pics,shame about the interview....

[dcdeb]

Thanks to those who have offered to translate -- it's a really long article!

 

I was an Italian minor in college, so I just took a few minutes to try to give you a sense of the last few paragraphs of the article while we're waiting for the experts to share the whole thing! Here's my best guess -- please let me know how far off I am!

 

Starting with the paragraph with the Big P:

 

I try to insist: "Does the comparison to Freddie Mercury

bother you?" "I understand that. Our background is

the same, we both have studied opera, and have

a similar way of using our voices. Let's say

I take it as a compliment." "And Elton John,

have you already met him?" I ask. "No

but it's better like this. It's always

better to not meet real legends. You

know, I understand the frustration of

you journalists," he says. "It's true,"

I say, "in fact it's always better to

interview..." And here I stop myself.

It's clear that I have made a gaffe.

And in fact, he finishes the phrase:

"It is better to interview people

who you don't like." S**T. I try to

fix it. "But no, I don't say that.

I didn't intend this, I meant that

it is always better to not meet

those whose music has changed your life."

"For example?" he asks. "Jimi Hendrix

Kurt CobainJoe Strummer," I say, like it

was one name.

"You see that they are all dead, so

I don't have to worry." "Well,

yes, I understand," he says.

 

Silence. Since however, it displeases me

to leave like this and deep down

I like Mika, I decide to ask

one last question. To which he will

respond with such spirit and

intensity, that it will make me

laugh. He will feel bright and I will

not feel like [crap] any more. And

we will be happy and content. "Tell me

one thing, only one thing, that you will

never do to be successful, you would

rather live in poverty for the rest

of your life." Mika, who is

rather smart and who, if he has

a talent, it is really that of

knowing how to please the public

he has in front of him, does not

disappoint me: "I will never

marry Tommy Mottola."

 

Anyhow, my impression is that

even though the overall article may not be

favorable to Mika, but in the end, I

think he saves it, at least he ends it with a degree of humor.

 

dcdeb

[JeyJen]

good job dcdeb!!!

[violet_sky]

Thank you dcdeb

 

I also think the interviewer was kinda rude but maybe he or she is not yet that long in that business and had a strange idea of giving the interview an interesting notion by saying that... Still I think it was very unprofessional and sometimes I have the feeling that all those interviewers made up a kind of competition who might be the first to make Mika lose his countenance. But he does well in those interviews, so there's no reason to worry. Let them ask, say and write whatever they feel like - you know that we know better

[Martincy]

Here's the (looong) translation...enjoy:

 

Sanremo's Hotel Royal is like a sort of third world's Chateau Marmont. Not more than a year ago I ate next to Joaquin Phoenix in the real Chateau in L.A..

I've been waiting here for two hours, and the most famous person I've seen around is Daniel McVicar, who's part of Beautiful's cast. If Mika doesn't arrive soon, I promise I'm gonna start talking to Daniel.

 

For all those who have been living on Mars, Mika's Britain's new pop phenomenon. He's 23, was born in Lebanon and grew up in Paris and London, apparently in a well taught family. Over the past six months, and thanks to his MySpace and a very lucky music deal (with a help from Tommy Mottola in the States), he managed to conquer worldwide charts, placing both his single Grace Kelly and his album LICM in first place in the UK.

 

Since he's gay, his pop is agreeable and certainly not boor; he often sings in falsetto (disclaimer: the order in which these facts are put is absolutely random), and has been compared many times to Freddie Mercury, who's quoted in Grace Kelly's lyrics. Now, having listened to the album, the comparison with Mercury seems indeed slightly exagerated.

 

However, as we're in the third world's Chateau Marmont, where Daniel McVicar stands to J. Phoenix as Sanremo stands to Hollywood, then Mika can easily become the new Freddie Mercury.

 

"I really enjoyed myself a lot" starts Mika, back from the photo shot. "We're staying in a luxurious hotel and you drag me in a tool booth!" (don't know if it's the correct word...anyway, it's the place in which Mika's been photographed)

I tell him that he got used to a luxurious life quite quickly, after only 6 months as a popstar. He becomes serious. "These are only toys. Meeting people is more important than dressing in a fancy way, and playing live is what counts the most."

 

Although he's 23, Mika talks about his career and music in a terribly scientific way. He tells us about his growing up surronded by 5 women: 3 sisters (two of which work with him and follow him during his tour), his mum and an aunt. He says that melody and the the idea of writing the perfect pop song (3 minutes and a half long, he specifies) have obsessed him since tha age of 8.

"The first song I ever wrote was about the women in my family. It was called Instant Martyr, it went like this: She's an instant martyr, a drama queen. She gets up like a star but then she cries like she always used to.

The words are terribly harsh, but this is why pop music is great. You can say heavy and furious things and still go scot free. Through your songs you can tell other people things you would never have the courage to say, and that they wouldn's accept being told of. This is what the Beatles have always done. Isn't it great? Music gives you the freedom to say whatever you like, and whoever listens to you can go on iTunes and pay to dowload your song, instead of insulting you.

It's something you can do only with pop music, not with rock."

 

I must have made a strange face at his last statement, as he immediately goes on: "You see, as far as I'm concerned pop includes everything from Death Cab to Bjork. It's credible music which tends to mainstream. I'm obviously not talking about the crappy stuff for boy bands."

 

Grace Kelly is with no doubt the perfect pop song. Perhaps, in relation to what we were talking about before, it's even something more. In the lyrics the phrase "why don't you like me" keeps repeating itself; I therefore ask him if this is the reason why he became a popstar and if he needs to be liked so bad.

Mika answers back that it's useless to analyse his lyrics word by word, and that that's not the reason he decided to head for the stage at all. He adds that the words "why don't you like me" must be read backwards, as a reaction to all the years he was ignored and refused.

"I had come up to a point in which I believed there was no space left for my music", he explains. "I was really frustrated and Grace Kelly came up as a reaction to my state of mind: you don't want me? Fine, I don't care, I won't bother anymore".

 

I ask him if negative reviews hurt him. For example, Alex Petridis didn't really write a wonderful review of LICM on the Guardian, saying that it seemed like music coming from 1984's Eurofestival. Mika answers that Petridis is an asshole full of prejudices. And that after that bad review (one out of 5 stars), the Guardian published him on the cover of the monthly enclosure.

"Also, since Petridis stated that the comparison between my and Queen's music was ridiculous, you know what happened? The day after Brian May declared to the Daily Mail of being a fan of mine, and that Petridis is an ignorant".

 

"Look, my band has arrived". Mika starts waving his hand to a group of of boys and girls that has just entered the hall. I'm instead distracted by the arrival of Milly D'Abbraccio, who, with reference to Chateau Marmont, could stand as who? Sharon Stone? Demi Moore? I don't know.

At this stage I ask Mika a rather confused and and articulate question about what I call "gay friendly pop" which from my point of view is what him and the Scissor Sisters are making.

"People compare us for the wrong reasons", he answers slightly annoyed. "We do slightly similar stuff because we both produce credible pop and tell stories which are normally not told; however, our ways of dealing with assembling an album are completely different. My approach is much more similar to the way Bowie or Prince made their music in the '70s. They did solo records which sounded much more articulated and big than the ones made by any band whatsoever. And if you look around, you won't find a single person using that kind of approach anymore. And what does gay friendly music mean, anyway? I don't understand".

"Well, let's say Scissor Sisters are coming up with a fight in favour of homosexual rights", I babble.

"What does that have to do with anything? Unless you're mentally ill, being in favour of homosexual rights is evident. Anyway, I'm not interested in doing sexually politicisized music, and I find this way of categorising everything rather offensive and dull. Both Scissor Sisters and I indeed have a common theatrical approach to music, but if I think of bands such as Panic! At the Disco or Muse...well, they're transvestite bands for sure".

 

I insist: "Does even the comparison to Freddie Mercury bug you?", I ask.

"I understand that. Our background is similar, we both studied Opera and we use our voice in a similar way. Let's say I take that as a compliment".

"Have you met Elton John?", I ask again. "No, but I think it's better this way. It's always better not to meet your heroes. You know, I understand it must be frustrating for you journalists", he says.

"It's true", I start, "as a matter of fact it's always better to interview...". I stop. It's obvious I've just made a bad impression. He finishes the phrase: "...it's better to interview people you don't like". ****. I try to recuperate.

"No, don't say that. I didn't mean that, I meant that it's always better to interview people whose music has changed your life".

"For instance?..." He asks me.

"JimiHendrixKurtCobainJoeStrummer" I answer, as they were a single name. "As you can see, they're all dead, so I don't need to worry".

"Well, yeah, I understand", he tells me.

Silence. However, since I don't want to leave like this and afterall I like Mika, I decide to ask him one last question. A question he'll answer in such a funny and clever way it will make me laugh. He'll turn out to be cool and bright and I won't be the asshole anymore. And we'll both be happy ever after.

"Tell me the one thing you would never do in order to remain successful, even if it would mean having to live in poverty forever".

Mika, who's intelligent enough and that, if he's got some talent, it's knowing how to be liked by his audience, doesn't disappoint me: "I'll never marry Tommy Mottola".

 

Sorry that was long! And yeah, the journalist was a creep!

[dcdeb]

Here's the (looong) translation...enjoy:

 

I did enjoy it! Thanks so much for taking the time to translate the whole thing!

I know what a job it must have been!

 

dcdeb

[Martincy]

He he, yeah indeed...but was worth it:biggrin2:

[titania]

Thank you Avoca and Robertina for the scan Thank you dcdeb for your translation and thank you Martincy for your translation Strange but interesting (for Mika's respones) interview. Really enjoyed it . First time he's talked about Instant Martyr in an interview I think(?) ...

[violet_sky]

Thanks a lot for that loooong translation

 

Wonder if the interviewer was just an intern

[Zahara]

Thanks everyone! I loved the pictures!

[Ms.Mewissa<33]

i cant understand anything cept' "Gay Friendly" -.-

[robertina]

i was away from pc most of the day and now i'm reading all this...

i read the article after having scanned it and after having sent it to Avoca: when at last i read it, it was like a shock: i'd never thought it could be such a rubbish....otherwise i would think before posting it!!!

Anyway, the damage's done and now i'm quite happy we posted it, discussion has been lively so far, and very intelligent.

i'm proud of this forum and i 'd like to autocelebrate ourselves: we are exactly the way Mika is, intelligent, ironic, polite and energetic!

No idiot journalist can get us down! (a long as we suck hard on our lollipops..of course:naughty: )

[*Danique]

Thank you so much for posting this! I don't understand anything of it, but the pics are amazing!!

[Matt1984]

i was away from pc most of the day and now i'm reading all this...

i read the article after having scanned it and after having sent it to Avoca: when at last i read it, it was like a shock: i'd never thought it could be such a rubbish....otherwise i would think before posting it!!!

Anyway, the damage's done and now i'm quite happy we posted it, discussion has been lively so far, and very intelligent.

i'm proud of this forum and i 'd like to autocelebrate ourselves: we are exactly the way Mika is, intelligent, ironic, polite and energetic!

No idiot journalist can get us down! (a long as we suck hard on our lollipops..of course:naughty: )

 

woops... I just realized I thanked only avoca for posting it and not you for scanning it! :$ I hope I can get it right now: THANK YOU, ROBERTINA!

[Mirtilla]

waiting to go out of work and running to the newsstand to byu the mag!

[alpenliebe]

Lovely pics! Thank you guys for posting and scanning! :*

[ziema]

Thanks for scanning and translating!

The interviewer was really weird...

Luckily the pictures are great! Mika is hot so in the broom picture

[Kriszti]

Thanks so much for posting!!!!!!!!!! I love the one with the broom!

[bee]

he is killing us

[LoveLoveMIKA]

He doesn't wear make up like the young David BOWIE. I suppose that it's only for the photos (that's correct to use thze word photos in english? )

 

Yes, it is correct to use the word "photos" in English! :-) Well done.

 

Background info: It comes from PHOTOgraphS. Short = PHOTOS.

 

I hope my explanation helps! :-)

[esperia75]

great post, Matt! unfortunately, very correct translation....bad article, bad woman, bad everything..but the broom!

i must say that press in Italy has not been friendly to mika so far... i only read rubbish.

let's hope this will not prevent him to come back, as he promised 'with his blood' to me! i'm so scared of it, that i also dreamt him telling me he would not come back to Italy...'cause his managers said it was not worthwhile!!! :shocked: .......just a dream, a nightmare daresay!!!

 

I agree with you, Rob...Except some particular, more or less implicit, psychoanalitical intuitions of this bad woman That i don't feel to sentence....

[Mirtilla]

after talking with robertina i was curious and i read immediately the full article: what a rubbish! that woman had been really...CRUEL!! She could have written a real article instead of typing whatever "she, the super-woman" was thinking!

btw rob, i did remember i've read a nice review of mika written by Mario Luzzato Fegiz, who's the music journalist for the Corriere Della Sera..so not everything from italy sucks...

[mel_tinydancer]

OMG ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUSSSSSSSS!!! i love the one with him and the broom.... will he come and clean my house?? i might have to pay him in other ways other than money though..... JK JK!!