Katie Melua and Eva Cassidy doing a duet?

Did you know Katie Melua is to release a song with Eva Cassidy? Or should I say the late Eva Cassidy as she died in 1996.

I love this new technology that enables singers to sing with their idols who died many years ago. But at the same time I do find it quite disturbing, they are dead yet they are still releasing new songs, how freaky is that?

The song they will be singing is Louis Armstrong's, "What a Wonderful world" and is predicted to knock Leona Lewis' Bleeding Love off the top spot, about time someone did!

The thing is, whenever I hear of anyone doing this I think, what if the other person would not have wanted to do a duet with them when they were alive. They don't get any choice in the matter and of course the deceased singer's family get more money from it from royalties.

I suppose it should be interesting to listen to, especially as when Eva Cassidy died, Katie Melua would have been 12 years old, thus the age difference is quite significant!

But,don't you find that it is always the re-releases of songs by dead singers that get a top spot? After all Elivis Presley's song got re-released as was no.1 for a long time, so we will see how well this one does!

Music, possibly one of the best pick me ups.

As you can probably tell by my blog, music is a HUGE part of my life, it is one thing I could not live without.

In my opinion,the best way to experience music fully is live. I have been to so many concerts and the rush of adrenaline you get just keeps you going for ages.

I went to see Mika in November and it was an amazing gig, so much so I am seeing him again in February, in London.

But, the point is, that it isn't just the music at the gigs which gives you that buzz, its the atmosphere as well. The majority of the audience enjoy listening to the singer/band and everyone joins in with the well-known songs. It is a whole new world which if you have not experienced then you are missing out big time.

Next year however, I will be trying a whole new type of live music, the weekend long, camping extravaganza which is the Isle of Wight festival. This will be my first time and will be a completely experience to the usual concerts I have been to and I have been told it isn't anything like normal concerts where only a few bands/singers perform on one night.

There have already been many announcements of acts to play at next year's festival including; Headliners; The Police, The Sex Pistols and Kaiser Chiefs and support acts; Kate Nash, Lily Allen, The Kooks, The Hoosiers,James, K T Tunstall and other big acts still to be confirmed (although I have heard from sources, Mika is rumoured to be playing!)

I have been to many different types of gigs; big venues, intimate, small venues, outside and inside gigs but I have never been to a weekend long music festival so this will be completely new to me and I cannot wait!

Review of Mika's 'Life in Cartoon Motion'

Mika's first album, 'Life In Cartoon Motion' was an instant hit in the UK going straight to No.1 in the album charts. This album is full of fresh, unique tracks from a singer is filled with energy and new ideas.

Mika's most popular song, "Grace Kelly" which was at No.1 for 6 weeks and is about his annoyance at producers and executives who were trying to label him as an already existent famous person shown by the line" Should I bend over? Should I look older? Just to be put on your shelf" is one of his best songs.

His album has a good blend of serious and fun songs from 'Happy Ending' a slow song, about a bad breakup and 'Lollipop' a fun, lively song which he wrote for his sister about love.

My favourite song is track three, 'My Interpretation' which has a good melody and piano accompaniment by Mika.







Many of the songs off his album have many different interpretations and the majority of these, the singer has not divulged the meanings of and has simply left the meaning and symbolism of the songs open to listeners to think about what the songs means to them.

Possibly one of the most controversial songs on the album is "Billy Brown" about a homosexual man who once had a 'normal' life of "Two kids, a dog and the cautionary wife' and left them after falling in love with a man. This clearly breaks the mould of the usual love song thus continuing to show us that Mika is unique and bringing a new style of pop to mainstream music.

Overall, a great album with a mixture of songs covering a wide angle of subjects. In my opinion he can cover both slow and lively songs with the same flair and style we have seen in his singles such as; "Love today", "Grace Kelly" and "Big Girl".

Rating: *****

Mika Concert 28th Nov @ BIC

Having been a Mika fan for quite some time, I thought I would see the Lebanon born singer in his full glory, live!

I arrived at the Bournemouth International Centre half an hour before the doors opened. Already there was a long queue of excited Mika fans from giggly 'teeny boppers' to middle aged women.

After everyone had taken their seats (or places in the standing area), the support band, Palladium came on stage.They performed 5 of their songs including their new single 'Hi five. Their style of music was very much pop/rock and reminded me of bands such as; The Kaiser Chiefs, The Killers and Panic At The Disco!

Now, considering Mika had been on tour since July with only a few days off occasionally, he was on top form, which was shown through the energy he put into his stage performance.
He performed the entirity of his debut album, 'Life in Cartoon Motion' and even gave us a glimpse of his new album which is still in production.

However, one difference I saw in this concert, compared to others is that, because this is Mika's first proper UK tour and having only made it into mainstream music this year he does not seem to be jaded by the fame and still quite down to earth. One thing I think showed this was the chant at the beginning of 'Mika, Mika' when he appeared on stage and which he instantly got the crowd to change to 'Bournemouth, Bournemouth'.

Unlike most modern day singers he performed many of his songs whilst playing an accompaniment on the piano thus showing he isn't jus a pretty face and a good voice!

At the end of the show he came out and did two encores, 'Grace Kelly', his first song that was at no.1 for six weeks and 'Lollipop' one of his liveliest songs.


One of the highlights of the evening, I think was the finale, which Mika ended with a bang. The beginning of the finale started with a short but alternative version of Teddy Bear's Picnic. During this some of the band members and other people were dressed as rabbits, bears with Mika dressed as a crocodile.


The physical bang to the finale in this case was the noise of two large cannons going off, covering the crowds in confetti whilst Mika sung 'Lollipop', still dressed as a crocodile.
But, after that song, Mika surprised everyone by coming back onto the stage to do a THIRD encore, something unheard of amongst most singers and bands!
He sung "Relax", the song he had started with at the beginning to bring the concert full circle.

Overall, the concert was lively and eventful and felt like one long carnival or party which continues into the theme of his debut album as each song is full of energy and flair.