28 June 2011

Mika's Magic Monday #2


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小休了約一星期後,Mika的Magic Monday環節強勢回歸!

但你們不能只為今天的這篇更新興奮呢!我們在未來的日子還有一連串令大家雀躍的材料-包括一段由Mika給大家的video message(他有任務給你們⋯⋯),還有另一樣特別的消息要公佈,這次是肯定的je ne sais quoi(直譯:我也不知道甚麼)⋯⋯

但在這一刻我們想加強大家對Mika美好事物(食物?)的胃口和期待!因此我們今個星期要送出3張全新獨家的電腦桌布給大家!

立即按下面的連結下載我們特意準備的桌布,讓Mika的魔法填滿你的電腦吧!

今個星期我們為大家送上的只是前奏,下星期我們更把一樣新的產品帶到大家眼前⋯⋯你們猜猜它是甚麼?

請繼續密切留意Mika的最新動向!


After a brief week away, Mika's Magic Monday is back in full force!

But it's not just this one day you have to look forward to, we have loads of excitement for you in the coming days including a video message from Mika (he's got a job for you...) AND another special announcement, this time with a certain je ne sais quoi...

In the meantime we want to whet your appetite for all the Mika goodness ahead by giving away THREE exclusive wallpapers for your computer!

Click one of the below links to download the free wallpaper and let Mika fill you with magic everytime you turn your computer on.

Not only have we got loads more for you to look forward to this week, but next week sees the unveiling of a very exciting new product... Can you guess what it is?

Stay tuned for more from marvellous Mika!
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via Mika on Facebook

24 June 2011

Mika 2011年6月22日接受Courrier Picard訪問 Mika's Interview on Courrier Picard, 22nd June 2011

For his only show in France happening at the beginning of July, Mika tells us about his anticipated third record.

Mika, real name Mica Penniman, born August 18 1983 in Beirut, Lebanon. After 8 years in Paris, he moves to London to continue his studies. At 19, he decides to quit school to start his artistic career.

He sings at the Royal Opera House and writes jingles. He starts being known in 2006 via Myspace.

His first single, Relax, take it easy is a real success: top position in Brittish charts due only to downloads. Followed my by the single Grace Kelly, his first album Life in cartoon motion is a success. It will be followed in september 2009 by The boy who knew too much.

This pop icon chose Compiègne to try his new creations, July 9 at the Palais Impérial.

Why a show in France?
A show in France between the 2 albums makes me get out of the studio and test my songs in englush as well as 2 or 3 in French. We need a balance and not get away too much from the audience, being free.

And why Compiègne and the palais impérial?
It’s a special place. And its not far from Paris, 40 minutes. I wanted a festival, i wanted a feeling, a new look. The place is perfect for the “mood” of the new CD. A little bit like the Louvre.

Are you already familiar with the place?
Yes, a little bit. When i was a kid, we drove by it with my parents. Its a good occasion to come back to the town.

You will sing new songs but also old ones?
Yes, a few (smiles).

Why so much secret about this new album?
I think its the opposite, there's no secret. I wanted it to be more relaxed. Thats why i wanted to present this album during a show, while its not done like that usually. This CD is mostly about the origin of love. I also talk about tolerance. It’s both sad and rhythmic. But its not done yet. Its frustrating.

What have been your main inspirations for this album?
I didn’t want to talk about my childhood or my teenage years, but about religion and politics. There's a song on the record where we forget about religion, forget about Adam and Eve, and reinvent love and talk about tolerance. There're 12 love songs but all different. I wanted make the concept of a love song about desire, which is the most important thing.

How is it different from the previous CDs?
There're more collaborations, even if i wrote most of the songs. With collaborations, there's more energy. They could help me. While i did the second CD alone, for this one i wanted to work with all the people i love in the world.

When will it be released?
2012, but a few singles will be out before when they’ll be ready.

因為7月頭在法國開唯一一場演唱會的緣故,Mika跟我們談了一下他快要推出的的3張專輯。

Mika,原名Mica Penniman,1983年8月18日於黎巴嫩貝魯特出生。在巴黎生活了8年後,他搬到倫敦繼續他的學業。在他19歲那年,他確定離開學校開展他的演藝事業。他在皇家歌劇院唱歌,也會為廣告作曲。他在2006年開始透過MySpace成名。

他的第一首單曲Relax, Take It Easy獲得空前的成功,並成為線上下載歌曲的銷量榜首。
Mika其後推出另一首單曲Grace Kelly,再以首張大碟Life In Cartoon Motion取得另一次的成功。他更在2009年9月發行第2張專輯The Boy Who Knew Too Much。

這位流行巨星選擇於7月9日以貢比涅比亞里茲,作為他新創作的試點。

為甚麼要在在法國開演唱會呢?
在2張唱片之間開一場法國的演唱會,可以讓我從錄音室出來活動活動之外,也給了我測試表演新歌的機會,包括英文歌和2至3首法文歌。我們需要一個平衡,不能與觀眾失去聯絡這麼久之餘,又要有自由空間留給自己。

那為甚麼要是貢比涅和比亞里茲呢?
她是一個很特別的地方。而且她離巴黎不遠,只需40分鐘的車程。我想要一個音樂節,我想要那種(音樂節的)感覺,一個全新的面貌。這地方跟我新專輯的調子和感覺都不謀而合;也跟羅浮宮有點相似。

你已經熟悉這個地方了嗎?
對,一點點吧。我小時候爸爸媽媽有駕車經過那裡的。藉著這次機會能回到這個城鎮真好呢。

你會唱新歌,那也會唱舊歌嗎?
會的,幾首吧 。(微笑)

為甚麼這張新專輯隱藏著這麼多秘密呢?
我反而覺得是相反呢,它根本一點秘密也沒有啊。我這次想輕鬆一點;也正因如此,我才打算破例在我的演唱會跟大家展示這張唱片。這張CD主要是關於愛的根源,也會講到包容。曲風聽起來會悲傷之餘也很有節奏感。但這張專輯還未完成,真令人沮喪。

你這張新專輯的靈感源自甚麼(哪裡)?
我不想再講我童年或青春成長的事,但想講關於政治和宗教的。唱片裡有有一首歌講我們忘掉宗教,忘掉亞當和夏娃,以及重新發明愛與包容。唱片收錄了12首歌,但它們全部都是不同的。我想將情歌的意念變成關於人的渴求(慾望),而這也是當中最重要的一部分。

它跟你過往的專輯有甚麼分別?
雖然大部分歌仍是我寫的,但今次會有更多的合作歌曲。合作寫歌,能加入多點能量在其中,對我有不少幫助。第2張專輯是我單獨完成的,而這張唱片嘛,我想跟世界上我喜歡和欣賞的人一起合作完成。

唱片會幾時推出呢?
2012年吧;但幾首單曲會在唱片預備好之前面世。
---
Original article in French via Courrier Picard
English Translation by LilStar via MFC
Chinese Translation by MIKAmaze HK

Mika 2011年6月17日接受France Soir訪問 Mika's Interview on France Soir, 17th June 2011


Mika: "My sister's accident made me think"

At the age of only 27, the singer has a great career behind him. Meeting on the occasion of a visit to France, before a concert at Compiègne.


Orange pants, lock of hair the same color, childish smile, Mika is in Paris. Revealed in 2007 with his debut album Life in Cartoon Motion has sold in France to more than 1.2 million copies, it is about to release his third album. Last Wednesday, the singer had also made a special trip from London to talk to some journalists. And it previewed the US-Lebanese singer 27 years will sing some of his new songs during a unique concert in France on July 9 at Compiègne.

You become a star within 5 years...
No, I’m not a star. It’s funny, because I can do several concerts at Bercy, then take a walk in the street, very quietly. People look at me but do not often approach me. I’m not in the tabloids, I’m not a celebrity. Fortunately, because I tell a lot of crap and if it is known, I would be expelled from all parts of Paris!

There is a rumour that you have moved to Paris. Is it true?
I live in London and I also have a home in the U.S. because I work a lot there. For Paris, it is a false info, this is not the first … I love coming here but I could not live there because my whole family is in London. Honestly I do so much touring, it’s been five years since I live nowhere. Or rather everywhere.

Why present your new songs on stage?
I will not present the whole album, I’ll just try a few titles. I did not want to do a concert in France this summer and I wanted it to be outdoors, so that it has a taste of the festival. I chose Compiègne for the place is very beautiful. Well, I do not yet know the city but I downloaded a lot of plans Compiègne on my computer. Like that now I know where it is…

What can we expect on this new disc?
It will be a great pop album in English, also with songs in French. To do this, I chose a songwriter named Dorian, it was he who actually wrote the French version of Grace Kelly. I must admit it makes me a little scared to sing in the language of Molière…

What topics will you discuss?
He spent a lot of things in my personal life lately. The accident of my sister Paloma (who had a fall from fourth floor of his London flat, then impaled on a grid in October 2010, Ed) made me think a lot. So, I took a little break and this time I wanted to securities that are not too childish. I wrote twelve songs of love and tolerance. The album will be called The Origin of Love. I’m trying to record from Los Angeles, Miami and Montreal. For now, there are seven songs ready, and I need two.

How is your sister?
She made enormous progress. She fights. It is now surprising everyone… She wants to prove she can walk again and lead a completely normal life. I have no doubt about its success and the doctors are even amazed. It was hard for me, but, working in depth on this new CD really helped me.


Mika:姊姊的意外令我想深了

現年27歲的歌手Mika背後有著成功的音樂事業。我們就在他貢比涅演唱會前,到訪法國期間跟他會面,談了一會。


橙色長褲,一綹相同顏色的頭髮,像小孩一樣的笑容,Mika現身處巴黎。2007年出道推出Life In Cartoon Motion大碟,在法國的銷量達120萬之多;也是時候推出第三張專輯了。上個星期三Mika就跟了一些記者來了一次特別的倫敦行,也談了自己的一些事;同時這位27歲的美國黎巴嫩混血兒歌手,也預告了他將會在7月9日貢比涅這場獨一無二的個唱上跟大家表演新歌。

5年之內你就成為超級巨星了⋯⋯
不,我不是甚麼巨星。的確是很有趣的,我可以在Bercy(法國巴黎東部城鎮)開完幾場演唱會後,到街上靜靜的散散步。那裡的人即使認出我,也只會望著我,通常不會上前接近我或找我。我不是那些小報上的人物或主角,也不是名人。我實在應該興幸的,因為一直以來我跟人說了很多屁話,如果我真的這樣有名的話,我大概會被逐出巴黎了。

有傳聞說你搬來巴黎住了,事情是怎樣的?
我住在倫敦,但在美國也有一間房子,因為我常在那裡工作。而我住在巴黎的消息嘛,不是真的;已經不是第一次聽到這樣的謠言了。我很喜歡來這裡,但因為我的家人都在倫敦,所以就是不能在這裡定居。老實說我到處遊歷得太多了,已經有5年沒有住處,或者四海為家。

為甚麼要在台上表演新歌呢?
我不會演唱整張新專輯的,只會選幾首來試試。本來我今個夏天不想在法國開演唱會的。我想在戶外開演唱會,這樣會有音樂節的味道。我選擇貢比涅是因為這地方真的很美。嗯,其實我不太熟悉這個城市,但我已經下載了很多貢比涅的地圖到我的電腦裡去。至少現在我知道她的位置⋯⋯

我們可以期望新專輯裡會有些甚麼呢?
它將會是一隻很棒的英語流行專輯,也會收錄幾首法文歌。我找了一位叫Dorian的作曲人,就是當年寫法語版Grace Kelly的那位。我承認要我唱Molière的語言,我是有點怕的⋯⋯

新專輯會用甚麼取材呢?
近來我在自己的私人生活上花了不少精力。我姊姊Paloma的意外(去年10月Mika的姊姊Paloma從她倫敦的住所單位4樓高處墮下,並被圍欄刺過身體)令我想深了點。所以從那時開始我稍息了一會,並決定今次我要表現得不再幼稚。我寫了12首關於愛與包容的歌。新專輯將會叫‘The Origin of Love’。我嘗試在洛杉磯、邁亞密和蒙特利爾錄音。現階段我已經完成了7首歌,我還需要多2首。

你姊姊現在的情況怎樣?
她康復的進度十分良好。她一直在搏鬥,時時刻刻都給每個人帶來驚喜⋯⋯她想證明自己能再次走路,以及能恢復完全正常的生活。我沒有對她的成功有過任何的懷疑,醫生們也為她的鬥志和進度感到吃驚。它對我來說是一段頗艱難的日子,可是深入地為這張唱片努力,真的能幫到我不少。

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English translation by Google Translate
Chinese translation by MIKAmaze HK
Original article in French via France Soir

19 June 2011

Mika 2011年6月18日接受LCI Matin Weekend電視訪問 Mika's Interview on LCI Matin Weekend, 18th June 2011


LCI: Hello Mika!

Mika: Hello!

LCI: Thank you very much to accept our invitation. You're back, after a year without seeing you in Europe, with a third album in process, let's talk about it. So there is a tour, some shows, notably in Compiègne. Why do you choose Compiègne?

Mika: It's the only show that I will be in France.

LCI: We could wait for you in Paris.

Mika: Sorry?

LCI: *speaks up* We could wait for you in Paris.

Mika: Oh yes, but in Compiègne, the place looks beautiful, and it's only at 40min from Paris, so it's nearly Paris. It's very easy to go there. It's just in front of the Palais Impérial, it's an amazing place. I want to do something in the open air, something quite "summerish". It's really the only show that I will be in France this summer, before the third album. I'm in studio since 5 month, it's good to go out and do some shows.

LCI: To say "do something else and be on stage again"?

Mika: Yeah. It gives to me a different king of energy. I think it's important to test news things. For example, I will test some news' album songs. At the same time I wrote the album, I started to write song in french. It's not french versions of the english one, these songs only exist in french. I will sing one or two of these songs for the fisrt time at Compiegne. It will be the first time that I sing my own french song.

LCI: Speaking of that, the french audience often ask if you will sing in french...

Mika: Yes, everybody was asking me! A lot of people asking me. I sang covers before...

LCI: Grace Kelly, for example?

Mika: Yes, Grace Kelly too. I often did Barbara's covers, even when the people didn't want to hear that! I was singing "La Solitude" in the Eurockéennes! (laugh). But here, it will be my songs.

LCI: How many songs will be in french in this album?

Mika: Heu... No, it's doesn't a part of it, it's more like a bonus, a surprise for my fans in France. It's 4 or 5 songs, 4 songs just in French, but it's aside. It's an album in English, 12 songs in English, with that along.

LCI: So let's talk about this third album. In the last two albums, you talk about childhood, teenage years. So now, in which universe will you take us?

Mika: It's totally different, and I say that totaly sincerely. It's very different, like a new beggining. It's a little weird to talk about the third album because I'm still doing it. It will be finish this year to be out at the begging of next year. But you can probably hear new songs few months before. You will hear singles in next months. It's sound like a mix of Fleetwood Mac, Empire of the Sun, and Tron, the sample of "Tron" made by Daft Punk. So it's a little more electronic, but with organic elements. I don't know... it's very cheerful, very sincere and more adult, with the themes, what I'm talking about. There isn't childish or adolescent feelings. It's a sound very honest, and very liberated.

LCI: Where did you record this album ? You still working on it.

Mika: I was working... So, last year, I was on tour until november because the second record tour lasted one year and half. We also have a lot of difficulties in my family, because my sister had a serious accident in last october. It was like if my family's life, expect for the shows i did, was on break.

I started to work on february, in Montreal, with Empire of the Sun, an australian group which was in Montreal to work on "Le Cirque du Soleil" show. I went there without know what to do, I was saying to myself "what am i doing here ? I don't even know what I want to do".

LCI: Do you need to immerse yourself again in the work?

Mika: I immersed myself in a complet different environnement, I never recorded in Montreal before. Then, I didn't go home during three month and half. I left Montreal for Miami, Los Angeles, Miami again, Montreal again, I was touring, I was touring, and I went back with the half of my album. It was like a kind of... I don't know... it's really help me. It refresh me in every way. It's important, it was like if everything happen last year was a break, and a new beginning.

LCI: Precisely, it's true that the tragedy, which touched your family and your sister in particular, touched a lot your fan, you sent to them a few messages...

Mika: No, no, it's not true, they didn't sent "a few" messages. She was in a Hospital in London, called the Royal London hospital. She received a hundred of messages, it was incredible, the hospital was complety shocked. The most of these were french. It was letters, flowers, Carebears, she started to collect the carebears. Do you say that? Carebears? Teddybears? They collected it and gave to children in the hospital because we had too much. It was incredible. She was totally shocked and very touched to see that.

LCI: So, how is she?

Mika: She is really fine, she is very strong, she is inspiring, it's inspiring me, but at the same time, it's scared me, because I never see a women... She will be thirty the next week... In fact she will be thirty just before the Compiègne's show. And she's fighting, she's complety convinced that she will walk again. She's already showing at everybody, the specialists and all the doctors, that she's doing a few step. It's incredible, really incredible, I never see someone fighting this way. She doesn't care about what people say, she will be sucessful. Everything we do in our lives is quiet common place comparative with that.

LCI: Ok! Thank you very much! We will meet you again in July in Compiègne, and so in the begging in 2012 for your third record?

Mika: The album in the begginig of 2012 yes, and the singles before I hope, but we'll see. I am a little scared because they just tell me that le Palais (Impérial) is really the Napoleon's palais, and we are doing a theme for this show, because it's a new show, visually too. It's a little... a little Louvre, and my singer, my musicians, are dressed like if they were in Marie-Antoinette's court.

LCI: So it's Marie-Antoinette for the dresses?

Mika: *laughs* There will be a huge guillotine!

LCI: You mix Marie-Antoinette and Napoleon?

Mika: Napoleon, Marie-Antoine! Right, we'll see! Rendez-vous the 9 July, in Compiègne!

LCI: Thank you very much Mika, and see you very soon in Compiègne and for the new album!

LCI:Hello Mika!

Mika:Hello!

LCI:非常感謝你接受我們訪問的邀請。已經一年沒有在歐洲見過你,現在你回來了,而且第三張專輯已經有了進展,不如就談談它吧!我知道你今年將會在歐洲巡演,而且其中一場更會在貢比涅舉行呢。為甚麼你會選擇貢比涅呢?

Mika:那將會是我(今年)在法國唯一一場演唱會。

LCI:我們會等你再來巴黎的!

Mika:甚麼?

LCI:我們會在巴黎等你的!

Mika:噢好啊!但貢比涅真是個很美的地方呢,距離巴黎只是40分鐘的車程,所以也差不多是巴黎了吧。要到那裡其實也不難,只是在比亞里茲前面,是個令人驚歎的地方。我想在露天的地方做點有夏天感覺的事,活動一下。這真的會是我完成第三張專輯以前,我在法國的唯一一場演出。5個月前我一直都在錄音室裡工作,能出外走走表演表演挺不錯的。

LCI:即是說“找點事做和回到舞台”嗎?

Mika:也可以這樣說;它可說是我的活力之源呢。我依然相信各樣新嘗試是重要的。例如我會嘗試演唱一些新專輯裡的歌,同時又嘗試寫法文歌,然後收錄到新專輯裡。那些法文歌不是某些舊歌的法文版,而是它們會一開始就以法文歌的模樣,呈現在大家面前的。我會從中選1至2首在貢比涅演唱會唱給大家聽,這也將會是我第一次唱屬於自己的法文歌。

LCI:說起法文歌,不少法國的觀眾不時也會問你會不會唱一下法文歌⋯⋯

Mika:對啊,真的每個人都這樣問我呢!很多人都問我,我有翻唱過(一些法文歌)的⋯⋯

LCI:例如Grace Kelly?

Mika:對,也有唱過Grace Kelly的法文版呢。雖然很多人不喜歡聽,但其實我常翻唱Barbara的歌!我試過在Eurockéennes音樂節唱過“La Solitude”的!(笑)但今次全都將會是我自己的歌。

LCI:這張新專輯裡會有幾多首歌是法文的呢?

Mika:呃⋯⋯不,它們不是專輯的一部分,說它們是bonus、和給我法國fans的一個驚喜會比較恰當。這些bonus有4至5首吧 ,4首是全法文的,不是主打的。新專輯是張英文專輯,裡面12首都是英文歌,加上那幾首bonus一起合成這張專輯。

LCI:不如談談你這張第三張專輯吧。你過去2張專輯都是以童年和青春成長期做題材的。今次你又會帶我們到一個怎樣的時空裡呢?

Mika:我很誠懇的告訴你,這次的專輯跟以前的是完全不同的。真的很不同,就像一個新開始一樣。現階段談我的第三張專輯感覺怪怪的,我始終還未完成啊。專輯預計今年內完成,明年年頭推出。可是你大概能在推出的幾個月前聽到一些新歌呢!或許未來幾個月內我會推出單曲吧。專輯聽起來會像Fleetwood Mac、Empire Of The Sun,和Daft Punk的“Tron”的混合。所以曲風會比較電子,但同時又不失有機元素。我也不太清楚呢⋯⋯無論如何它將會是張很愉快,誠懇的專輯,而題材方面則會成人一點;不會再有任何天真幼稚的感覺在內。它將會收錄所有既真誠又自由(解放)的聲音。
LCI:你還在努力啊;那你是在那裡錄這張專輯的呢?

Mika:我努力啊⋯⋯是這樣的,我看第二張專輯的巡演已經有1年半的時間了,於是我就在11月停下來。同時因為姊姊在去年10月遇上了一次嚴重的以外,我們要面對家裡的一些困難。那時大概是我跟家人一起生活,開演唱會,然後作一點休息。
我在2月開始工作,我到了蒙特利爾,跟正在那裡為太陽劇團(Le Cirque du Soleil)工作的澳洲樂團,Empire Of The Sun合作。剛到那裡的時候,我不知道自己該做些甚麼。我甚至跟自己說,“我在這裡幹嘛?我連自己想怎樣也不知道。”

LCI:你需要將自己再浸淫在工作之中嗎?

Mika:我將自己浸淫在一個截然不同的環境裡;我從沒到過蒙特利爾錄音的。我有3個半月沒回過家;其後我離開蒙特利爾到了邁亞密,洛杉磯,然後再到邁亞密,再到蒙特利爾;我不斷遊走,不斷遊走,然後回到我完成了一半的專輯。這就像是⋯⋯我也不知道⋯⋯這過程對我有很大的幫助。我在各方面都重新振作起來。這是很重要的,這過程就如為去年發生的事作一個短暫休息,也為我造就了一個新的開始。

LCI:正正因為那次的慘痛意外,觸動了你的家人和姊姊,也感動了你很多的歌迷,它們給你們寫了好幾個信息⋯⋯

Mika:不不不,不是的,他們沒有寫’好幾個‘信息。姊姊當時在倫敦一間叫皇家倫敦醫院的醫院留醫。她収到數以百計的問候信息,是十分令人驚歎的,當時醫院方面很震驚。而收到的信息中大部分都是用法文寫的。她収到的有慰問信、花束、Carebears公仔等;她也開始收集Carebears公仔。你可能會問:甚麼?Carebears?毛毛熊?沒錯。我們實在收到太多Carebears公仔了,於是最後要把它們收集起來送給醫院裡的小朋友。太厲害了。我姊姊受寵若驚之餘又感動得很。

LCI:那她現在好嗎?

Mika:她現在康復得很好,也很堅強,很啓發到我;但同時也把我嚇倒,我從未見過一個女人⋯⋯她下星期就30歲了⋯⋯其實她的生日正正在我的貢比涅演唱會之前。她不斷搏鬥,不斷告訴自己她能再次如常走路。她已經跟大家-所有治療師和醫生證明她的決心,表明自己已為目標向前踏出好幾步。她真的很厲害,很有鬥心;我從沒有看過任何一個人像她那樣為目標搏鬥的。她完全沒有理會旁人怎樣說,相信自己必定會成功的。反觀我們的生活和在做的事,跟她完全比下去。

LCI:好!非常感謝你!我們 7月在貢比涅再見吧;所以在2012年年頭能聽到你的第三張專輯嗎?

Mika:沒錯,它將於2012年年頭面世,希望能在那之前推出一些單曲吧,看進度吧 。他們告訴我比亞里茲真的是拿破崙的皇宮來的,弄得我有點害怕;而因為演唱會是新的,視覺上也是,所以我們也為它另定了主題。會有一點羅浮宮的味道吧 ;而我的樂隊也會穿得像他們在瑪麗皇后的庭院(法庭?)裡一樣。

LCI:所以會是瑪麗皇后的裙子嗎?

Mika:(笑)到時會有一個很大的斷頭台喔!

LCI:你把瑪麗皇后和拿破崙混在一起?

Mika:拿破崙和瑪麗皇后!就拭目以待吧!約定你7月9日,貢比涅見!

LCI:很感謝你Mika!就在貢比涅見吧!也期待你的新專輯!

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English translation by Nanouch on MFC
Chinese translation by MIKAmaze HK
Video uploaded by AFerrariM via Youtube, owned by LCI

Mika: 我寫法文情歌 I write love songs in French.

MIKA: "I WRITE LOVE SONGS IN FRENCH"
THE SINGER, WHO WILL GIVE A CONCERT IN COMPIÈGNE (OISE) JULY 9, HAS CONFIDED TO HIS NEXT ALBUM.
INTERVIEW BY EMMANUEL MAROLLES

He is in Paris. The singer is visiting the capital, place where he grew up. He is working on his third album, and is going to appear in Compiègne (Oise) on 9th July. Yesterday, we had an occasionwith a musician who is always hot and enjoyable, not stingy with confidence.

Q: Why this concert is in Compiègne, Mika?
M: I want to give some shows this summer, while I am working on my new album, which is scheduled for early 2012. I was told about Compiègne, it is a place at 80 km from Paris. I went to the site and it is beautiful. I'll be playing at the square which is in front of the palace. It's pretty impressive. So, I prepared a scene between Marie Antoinette and punk: old paintings painted with graffiti, the costumes in this spirit.

Q: Where are you on for your next album?
M: I have seven songs that I love and I still need two. This time I decided to work with lots of different people: the Empire of the Sun group, the electro producer William Orbit (note: collaborator of Madonna). I am going to the studio tomorrow (note: this morning) with French DJ Martin Solveig. I also contacted some unknown musicians like Ben, a young Englishman whom I found his songs on the internet. He lives with his parents and played me his songs in his bedroom. They are presented on four tracks on the album. Musically, the disc is a meeting between Fleetwood Mac and "Tron," a mixture of the Elton John piano and electronic sounds.

Q: And you try to write in French?
M:
Yes. Meanwhile, I'm writing songs in French, but not to make an album, probably will be bonus on my next record. Here it sounds like between Supertramp and Polnareff. There is a track called "82, rue des Martyrs," which is a bar in Paris, next to Michou. One day I went there at 3 am, I met a girl named Karen who told me about her life and I made a song.

Q: Is it hard to write in French?
M:
No, although I make small grammatical errors. There's a song called "Elle me dit." “Elle me dit: écris une chanson contente, pas une chanson déprimante, une chanson que tout le monde aime. Elle me dit tu deviendras milliardaire, t'auras de quoi être fier. Tu ne finiras pas comme ton père. (She said, simply write a song, not a depressing song, a song that everyone loves. She said you will become a billionaire, you'll have to be proud. You do not end up like your father.)” A real French would not write like that.

Q: What is the name the album?
M:
"The Origin of Love," - because it will be twelve love songs with different tones. I have had it tough this year. My sister makes all my scenes tour had a serious accident. She had a fall from the 4th floor. Today she is rebuilt, beginning to walk. She is an incredible fighter. With all this, I need a change, to make a real difference that I want.

Mika is going to have a concert on 9th July and 13th July in Compiègne and Ajaccio respectively.

Mika:“我寫法文情歌。”
這位將會在7月9日於瓦茲省貢比涅舉行個唱的歌手Mika,透露了有關新專輯的一點消息。
原文:Emmanuel Marolles


講法文的Mika現在到了他度過童年的巴黎,同時為他將要面世的第三張專輯努力工作;除此以外,他還準備在今年7月9日在瓦茲省貢比涅(Compiègne, Oise)表演跟一眾歌迷會面。昨天跟我們昨天就跟這位充滿魅力和樂趣、毫不囂張卻又自信的歌手度過了一段快樂的訪問時光。

問:為甚麼今次會選擇在貢比涅(Compiègne)開演唱會呢Mika?
M:我想在今個夏天在錄2012年年頭推出的新專輯同時,也開幾場演唱會。我曾經聽說過貢比涅這個與巴黎相隔80公里的地方,也到了演唱會場地看過,那裡真的很美呢。我將會在皇宮前面的廣場上表演,相信會給大家留下深刻印象。也正因如此,我準備了一幕,風格在瑪麗皇后和龐克之間的:即是用街頭塗鴉方式畫的古代畫作,加上到時的服裝,將它的靈魂表現出來。

問:你下一張專輯現時的進度如何呢?
M:
現在我已經有7首喜歡的新歌,我想還需要多2首。這次我決定跟很多不同的人合作:例如組合Empire Of The Sun和電子音樂監製William Orbit(曾與Madonna合作)。我明天(今早)會跟法國DJ Martin Solveig到錄音室一趟。我也有聯絡過一些不太有名的音樂人,例如Ben;他是一個英國音樂人,我是在網上找到他的歌而認識他的。Ben與父母同住,他曾在他的房間裡給我聽過幾首他的歌。它們以4首歌的模樣收錄在他的專輯上。就音樂而言,那隻唱片可說是Fleetwood Mac和“Tron”之間相遇形成的一個火花,也是一個Elton John的鋼琴和電子音樂的混合。

問:還有就是你在嘗試寫法文歌?
M:
對啊。最近我在寫法文歌,但不會弄一張法文的專輯,或許會以bonus track的姿態在新專輯上呈現在大家眼前吧。它聽起來會是SupertrampPolnareff之間那樣的曲風。新專輯中還有一首歌叫“82, Rue des Martyrs",其實那是巴黎一間酒吧的名字。它就在Michou隔壁。一次我凌晨3點到了這家酒吧,認識了一個叫Karen的女生,她跟我講了自己的故事;而這首歌就是以她的故事做藍本寫成的。

問:用法文寫歌會很困難嗎?
M:
不會啊,雖然我到底還是會有一些文法上的小錯誤。還有一首叫"Elle me dit."的。“Elle me dit: écris une chanson contente, pas une chanson déprimante, une chanson que tout le monde aime. Elle me dit tu deviendras milliardaire, t'auras de quoi être fier. Tu ne finiras pas comme ton père. (She said, simply write a song, not a depressing song, a song that everyone loves. She said you will become a billionaire, you'll have to be proud. You do not end up like your father.)”一個真正的法國人是不會這樣寫的。

問:新專輯叫甚麼名字呢?
M:
“The Origin of Love” - 因為裡面將會收錄12首有著不同調子的情歌。過去這年我變得堅強(對我來說很難過)。我姊姊去年的意外造就了我巡演的場景。那次她從4樓高處墮下。到現在她逐漸好起來了,開始重新走路,她真是個很厲害的鬥士。也因為這樣,我需要一個改變,一個打從心底裡想作出的改變。

Mika將會在7月9及13日分別在貢比涅(Compiègne)和阿雅克肖(Ajaccio)舉行演唱會。

*Video translation in progress.
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8 June 2011

Mika與美國樂隊The All-American Rejects合作 Mika's Collaboration With The All-American Rejects

RT @tysonritteraar Thanks to Mika for throwing his sweet vocals on the end of one of my favorite songs our band has done. It's made it that much more special.
多謝Mika為我地band最鍾意果首歌唱左個結尾,令到呢首歌更加特別(更加有意義)。
11:31 AM Jun 7th via Twitter for iPhone
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via @tysonritteraar on Twitter
*Tyson Ritter是美國搖滾樂隊The All-American Rejects的主唱和低音結他手。

Mika: Pop Up! - 2011年5月號xL Repubblica的每月專欄 Mika xL Column May 31st 2011

Mika在意大利月刊xL Repubblica,2011年5月份的專欄
Mika xL Column 31, May
How A Dancing Goat Changed The World
Over the past few months I have been splitting my time between the USA, Montreal and Stockholm. I am now half way through making my new album, which will be my third. There are certain things which are almost unavoidable when working intensely in the studio. Firstly, you go slightly deaf, or in my case, even more deaf, and secondly you live at the mercy of a takeaway menu and most of all takeaway coffee. Coffee gives me a break from music and more importantly a break from the people I’m working with. We all have coffee ceremonies, and mine is a solitary one. I sit, drinking and bitching to myself about everyone around me, think about how everything going wrong is everyone else’s fault and list their never ending habits that drive me crazy. Once my cup is finished, I’m ok again and re-enter the studio in a much healthier state of mind with all my negativity thrown away with the paper cup.

All this coffee drinking has made me increasingly curious about how so many of us have ended up addicted to this black brew. Coffee is today the most traded agricultural commodity in the world and in 2004 the total value of retail coffee sales was over $80 billion. What do we really know about coffee?

It all started with a dancing goat apparently. Legend has it that in the 9th century, a goat herder in Ethiopia called Kaldi noticed his goats moving excitedly from one coffee shrub to another, grazing on the red berries containing the beans. Curious about the berries he tried it himself. The effects of the coffee beans on Kaldi were noticed by monks who also gave it a go. The buzz the coffee beans gave them made them feel more alert during their prayers and in short, closer to God.

What followed over the next 500 years was astonishing. Having made its way across the Red Sea to Arabia, coffee was being roasted and brewed, like we know it today, by the 9th century. It still had religious uses however, as the coffee aided religious worship. This important link tied coffee to Islam. So, where ever Islam went coffee went with it and this included Turkey. From Istanbul, coffee beans were imported into Venice and that was the first time coffee had travelled away from the Muslim world. The beans that were exported however were always sterilised and boiled, making them infertile. This protected the Arab coffee merchants who wanted to keep control of their valuable crop. Many tried and failed to smuggle out plants and beans, but it was not until an Indian smuggler called Baba Budan that anyone succeeded. Baba taped a few beans to his chest and got them to India where he immediately, under armed guard, set up plantations. From there the plant made its way to Holland and then to the Caribbean (via a theft in Paris) and only after that did it get to the Americas in the 1720s. Now, this was the result of a bouquet of roses apparently! Sent to French Guiana on a mission by the Brazilian government to smuggle out some fertile coffee beans, a Brazilian Lieutenant has a affair with the governor’s wife. She offers him a bouquet of roses with fertile coffee beans hidden inside the blooms, as a token of her affection. From these seeds, the largest coffee empire in the world would be built. Brazil is now the world’s largest producer of coffee, all thanks to a woman who thought she was in love.

Walking around in Venice Beach, in LA, I came across a coffee shop where a queue of people were standing in a calm line with numbered tickets in their hand. They were waiting for a cup of coffee at Intelligentsia Cafe and the waiting time was over 45 minutes. California saw the birth of the coffee shop chain. Way before Starbucks, there was Pete’s, a chain that started in 1966. In most European countries, you can not cross more than three street corners without stumbling into a Starbucks. How then has Italy managed to avoid this? Growing up in France we always thought Starbucks would never be able to compete against the cafe culture, but we were wrong. Italy should of course be proud of resisting Starbucks, but this new craze for gourmet responsible coffee drinking in the US has got me thinking. At Intelligentsia, people were not only queuing because the coffee was delicious, but because there was variety and a story behind every bean. Every cup served, has been made from beans that have been bought directly from the growers, on small independent plantations. The relationship between the coffee shop and the farmer is a direct one. That means that there is hardly anyone between us as the consumer and the farmer. The coffee shop doesn’t represent exploitation and price fixing, but shows how a partnership can benefit everyone. The emphasis on organic coffee also has environmental benefits. Just because Italy has resisted the Starbucks empire doesn’t mean it couldn’t learn something from the hip (and very patient!) coffee drinkers of Venice Beach.

When a bean has such an ancient story dating from the 9th century, and to this day 25 million families around the world are completely dependant on it, it’s worth having a little patience.

Here are some of the submissions we received for Mika’s illustration contest from last month’s blog. Thank you to all who entered.
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by Mika on xL Repubblica
Firstly posted on Mikasounds

4 June 2011

新的Mika豆腐人公仔名字出來了!New Mika Tofu Doll Name Revealed!

Thanks to everyone who suggested named for the new Mika Tofu Doll. Over 1000 names were put forward which is an amazing response!

Some of Mika’s favourites were:
Humphrey
MIKO (‘Beautiful Child’ in Japanese)
Mitodo (‘my everything’ in Spanish)
Minimi
Mikolor

However there can only be one winner. So it is with great pleasure to announce the Mika Doll’s new name is…

感謝參加了新Mika豆腐人起名比賽的大家!我們收到過千個名字的提議,反應真是很熱烈呢!

以下是Mika最愛的幾個名字:
MIKO(日文‘美麗的孩子’的意思)
Mitodo(西班牙文‘我的一切’的意思)
Minimi
Mikolor

但我們始終只能有一個贏家喔!因此我們很高興要宣佈新Mika豆腐人的名字是⋯⋯

Luvluvmi

Congratulations to Hazel Chew for coming up with such a great name!

Watch this space for information and news on the Luvluvmi doll.

恭喜得奬者Hazel Chew給我們提議了這麼好的一個名字!
密切留意這裡更多關於Luvluvmi的消息。
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via Mikasounds

Mika將會在西班牙Low Cost Festival音樂節演出 Mika To Play Spain's Low Cost Festival

Fans in Spain will be able to catch Mika live this summer as he is confirmed to play the Low Cost Festival. Taking place between 21st-23rd July in Benidorm, Mika will be sharing the stage with a wealth of other bands including Erol Alkan, Crystal Castles, Klaxons and many more.

Click here for more information on the festival.

If you want to catch him live click here to see the full listing of live dates Mika will be performing at this year.

各位西班牙歌迷今個夏天將有機會與Mika見面了,事緣Mika已經確認了會在當地,於7月21至23日舉行的Low Cost Festival音樂節演出!屆時Mika還會與Erol Alkan、Crystal Castles及Klaxons等其他樂隊分享舞台呢!
按此查閱更多關於是次音樂節的資料。
如果你想把握機會跟Mika在演唱會見面,按此查看Mika完整的演唱會行程表。
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via Mikasounds

Mika取消瑞士Urban Festival音樂節的演出 Urban Festival Cancelled

It is with great sadness that we announce Urban Festival in Switzerland has been cancelled.

Mika was due to perform at the festival on 1st July and wishes to convey his sincerest apologies to fans hoping to catch him live.

Please contact your ticket vendor for information on ticket refunds.

Stay tuned for more Mika live announcements. Hope to see you soon at the next one.

我們很遺憾要跟大家宣佈,今年瑞士的Urban Festival音樂節已經取消了。

原本7月1日要在這個音樂節表演的Mika希望能跟所有受影響的歌迷表示最誠懇和深切的歉意。
請盡快聯絡發票公司以取得關於退票的資料。

繼續緊貼我們網頁消息以接収更多Mika演唱會的資訊;希望能在下一個演唱會跟你見面!
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via Mikasounds