Yasmine and Paloma at LoveBox’s backstage
Mika: “The accident of my sister made me think”
At just 27 years, the singer has a great career behind him. Meeting on the occasion of a visit to France, before a unique concert at Compiegne.
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 Compiegne.
FRANCE-SOIR In five years, you became a star …
Mika 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 the parts of Paris!
F.-S. There is talk that you moved to Paris. What?
M. 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 couldn’t 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.
F.-S. Why present your new songs on stage?
M. I will not present the whole album, I’ll just try a few titles. I didn’t 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 don’t know the city yet, but I downloaded a lot of plans to Compiègne on my computer. Like that now I know where it is …
F.-S. What can we expect of this new disc?
M. 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 …
F.-S. What topics will you discuss?
M. 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) made me think a lot. So, I took a little break and this time I wanted titles 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 twelve.
F.-S. How is your sister?
M. 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 her success and the doctors are even amazed. It was hard for me, but, working in depth on this new CD really helped me.
Mika in Compiegne, Imperial Palace, Place Charles de Gaulle, 60200 Compiègne. On Saturday, July 9, 2011 at 20 hours. Price: from € 29.90 to € 299.
Mika’s Bedside Vigil For Sister Over Christmas
Pop star MIKA spent the Christmas holidays in hospital keeping a bedside vigil for his sister, who is still recovering following a freak accident in October (10).
The Grace Kelly hitmaker’s sibling, Paloma Penniman, fell 50 feet (15 metres) from a window at her home in Kensington, West London and landed on a metal rail.
Her legs were impaled on the rail’s spikes, with one entering her abdomen. Firefighters cut her free and a helicopter response team flew her to the Royal London Hospital, where she has been ever since.
And Mika and his family ensured Penniman didn’t miss out on the festivities by spending Christmas Day (25Dec10) at her bedside.
He tells Britain’s Daily Star, “At the end of last year I was going back and forth between Paloma and the recording studio in America. Christmas was a bit different this year.
“We didn’t want to leave my sister on her own so all of my family were in hospital on Christmas Day and we have been with her every day over the holidays.
“We tried to make it all fun for her but it has been awful, such a shock, and we don’t know when she will be able to leave. It is still pretty serious.”
Penniman Family (well, just the kids)
-Zuleika allegra (with the pink dress)
-Yasmine/Dwack (next to MIKA)
-MIKA (you know him…)
-Paloma (with the floral dress)
-Fortune (can you believe he is only 19?)
Im sure that, order by age, MIKA is the brother in the middle, then comes Zuleika and Fortune is the youngest, and Yasmine is the oldest, followed by Paloma ;)
