Mika Niuton
UkraineMeet Mika Newton, the Determined Songstress
At the age of seventeen, Mika Newton fearlessly taunts "factory girls" and Britney Spears, fights her own battles with determination, and isn't afraid to stand up to bullies. In her song "Anomaly," which you've probably already heard, Mika warns that it's the whole truth about her.
A Musical Family
Mika has been on stage since she was nine years old. Unlike most parents, her parents not only allowed but encouraged her desire to perform. "We have a very musical family. My dad used to play guitar in a band when he was young, and my great-grandfather was a legend. There wasn't a single wedding in the area without him, and yet he taught himself how to play the violin!" proudly recounts the singer. Mika, on the other hand, received formal musical education. She attended a music school where she studied piano and took vocal lessons. She started participating in competitions across the country, and by the age of ten, she released her first album, a collection of children's songs. At fourteen, she left her hometown of Burshtyn (Ivano-Frankivsk region) for the capital. "That's my solid experience," Mika laughs. "Yes, Britney and I are veterans! Except I'm not thinking about marriage yet; I guess I'm not that old."
A Journey to Success
In Kyiv, Mika enrolled in the State Variety Circus College to study pop vocals. She pursued her education while trying her luck in music competitions, but she never gave up her karate training, which she started at the age of eleven. "A girl should be able to defend herself. My older sister actually serves in the army, I swear!" Mika is telling the truth. Fortune smiled upon her at the "Black Sea Games" competition, where she took first place and met producer Yuriy Falesa. At sixteen, she signed her first "adult" contract. "Before that, my dad took care of my affairs," explains Mika. "He chose songs and worked on arrangements. But at that time, I couldn't trust him with that anymore, and now I can make my own decisions." Ukrainian TV channels refused to air the first music video for her song "Run Away" because it portrayed "problematic areas" so explicitly, such as drug addiction, youth prostitution, and hopelessness. Mika had to listen to the opinions of adult professionals and choose a new hit - "Anomaly." After that, everything started happening: in Moscow, the most advanced directors shot music videos for her songs "Lunapark" and the super-hit "In Captivity." Mika quickly gained popularity in the CIS countries. "Now, when we have free time between concerts, we spend it at the rehearsal base with the musicians, composing songs, and developing our sound," Mika giggles. "It's such a thrill when we switch instruments, and everything sounds different. We're transitioning from pop-rock to grunge, and it all ends with thrash metal." Miss Independence looks to the future with optimism: "We work hard, we rehearse, so everything should be fine. After all, I have such legendary namesakes. Who? Well, Mick Jagger, Mick Box, and Paul Newton – they're all great examples! And what about the great scientist Newton!"
