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==Early life==
==Early life==
Mika was born in [[Beirut]], [[Lebanon]]. He is the middle child of the five children born to a [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] mother and an [[United States|American]] father. When he was one year old his family was forced to leave war-torn Lebanon and moved to [[Paris]]. He wrote his first song, which he describes as an "awful" piano instrumental called "Angry", at age seven. The family moved to [[London]] when he was nine years old. In London he then attended the [[Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle]] where he experienced more severe bullying at school and had problems with [[dyslexia]], so he was home-schooled by his mother for close to a year.<ref name="mirror"/> [[Westminster School]] and the [[Royal College of Music]], which he later left to record his first album.<ref name="times">{{cite news|title=Triumph of a tortured soul |date=[[2007-01-05]] | publisher= ''[[The Times]]''| url= http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14932-2531024,00.html }}</ref>
Mika was born in [[Beirut]], [[Lebanon]]. He is the middle child of the five children born to a [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] mother and an [[United States|American]] father. When he was one year old his family was forced to leave war-torn Lebanon and moved to [[Paris]]. He wrote his first song, which he describes as an "awful" piano instrumental called "Angry", at age seven. The family moved to [[London]] when he was nine years old. In London he then attended the [[Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle]] where he experienced more severe bullying at school and had problems with [[dyslexia]], so he was home-schooled by his mother for close to a year.<ref name="mirror"/> He then attended [[Westminster School]] and the [[Royal College of Music]], which he later left to record his first album.<ref name="times">{{cite news|title=Triumph of a tortured soul |date=[[2007-01-05]] | publisher= ''[[The Times]]''| url= http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14932-2531024,00.html }}</ref>


==Musical career==
==Musical career==

Revision as of 08:55, 3 June 2007

Mika

Mica Penniman (born 18 August 1983), also known as Mika (IPA [ˈmikə]), is a Lebanon-born, London-based singer who has a recording contract with Casablanca Records and Universal Music. Some sources[1][2][3] note his birth name as Michael Holbrook Penniman.


Early life

Mika was born in Beirut, Lebanon. He is the middle child of the five children born to a Lebanese mother and an American father. When he was one year old his family was forced to leave war-torn Lebanon and moved to Paris. He wrote his first song, which he describes as an "awful" piano instrumental called "Angry", at age seven. The family moved to London when he was nine years old. In London he then attended the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle where he experienced more severe bullying at school and had problems with dyslexia, so he was home-schooled by his mother for close to a year.[3] He then attended Westminster School and the Royal College of Music, which he later left to record his first album.[4]

Musical career

He was trained by a Russian opera professional and his public performances and jobs have varied from classical performances in the Royal Opera House, writing in-flight music for British Airways and creating an Orbit Chewing Gum jingle. His debut radio appearance was on Dermot O'Leary's BBC Radio 2 show in September 2006, Later with Jools Holland and on The Friday Night Project on 19 January 2007.[citation needed] He has a vocal range of five octaves.[4]

He chose the name Mika for his professional name because he was frustrated with how often people would mispronounce his name.

In January 2007, he came top of BBC News's Sound of 2007 poll.[5]

His first single was a limited 7"/download release called "Relax, Take It Easy" (2006). It was play listed by BBC Radio 1 in the United Kingdom, and was also made Record of the Week by DJ Scott Mills. The Dodgy Holiday EP is also available for download. His song "Billy Brown" was available for free download for a week from the iTunes Store.

Universal Music released his single "Grace Kelly" by digital download on 8 January 2007, and it reached number one on the UK Singles Chart on 21 January 2007. The CD, 12", and limited-edition 7" versions were released on 29 January 2007. The release features remixes by Tom Neville, Bimbo Jones, Linus Loves, and Pull Tiger Tail.

Produced and mixed by Greg Wells in Los Angeles, with two songs co-produced by Jodi Marr and John Merchant, Mika's début album Life in Cartoon Motion was released on 5 February 2007, and has brought comparison with artists such as Freddie Mercury,[6][7] Scissor Sisters,[8] Elton John,[9] Robbie Williams[10] and David Bowie.[10]

He was the musical act for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, on 26 March 2007[11] and for Jimmy Kimmel Live on 27 March 2007.[12]

His band consists of Martin Waugh (guitars, backing vocals), Michael Choi (bass, backing vocals), Cherisse Osei (formerly of The Faders, drums) and Luke Juby (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals).[citation needed]

Personal life

Mika comes from a family of three girls and two boys.[13] His sister Yasmine, who works as an artist under the nom de plume Dawack, painted the cartoon art for his album Life in Cartoon Motion.[10]

Although his "camp" performances have led to speculation that he might be gay,[14] Mika keeps his sexuality private. In response to media speculation he has been quoted as saying, "I never talk about anything to do with my sexuality. I just don't think I need to. People ask me all the time. But I just don't see the point." The quote continues, "In order to survive I've kind of shut up different parts of my life, and that's one of them, especially this early in my career."[15]

He has brushed aside suggestions that he is steering clear of sexual taboos in order to appeal to the American market, pointing to the song "Billy Brown", which is about a man who has a homosexual affair. He is quoted as saying, "If I was worried about sexual taboos I certainly wouldn't have made the record I made. It has nothing to do with that. It has more to do with self-respect."[16]

Discography

Albums

Life in Cartoon Motion

Singles

These are the peak positions of Mika's singles in the United World Chart, UK, US, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Germany , Italy and the Netherlands. For more chart figures see the singles.
Year Title Chart positions Sales/Points Album
UWC U.K. U.S. IRE ITA CAN AUS GER NL
2006 "Relax, Take It Easy" - 67 - - - - - - Life in Cartoon Motion
2007 "Grace Kelly" 4 1 (5) 57 1 (7) 1 4 2 4 2 3,352,000
"Lollipop" - 59 - - - - - -
"Love Today" - 6 92 14 - - - - 99

Footnotes

  1. ^ "A rising British pop star revives a Mercurial style". New York Times. 2007-03-31. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ "Artist of the day: Mika". Spin. 2007-03-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Mika, Teenage prodigy of the Royal Opera". The Daily Mirror. 2007-01-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b "Triumph of a tortured soul". The Times. 2007-01-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ "Singer Mika tops BBC talent". BBC News. 2007-01-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "Mika uses Freddie's piano?". Metro. 2007-01-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ "Sound of 2007: Mika". BBC News. 2007-01-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "Mika". The Guardian. 2006-12-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ "V is for victory - and for virtuoso". The Independent. 2007-03-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ a b c "Introducing the sound of 2007: Mika". Belfast Telegraph. 2007-01-23. Retrieved 2007-03-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help).
  11. ^ http://tv.yahoo.com/the-tonight-show-with-jay-leno/show/episode/127700
  12. ^ http://tv.yahoo.com/jimmy-kimmel-live/show/episode/127871
  13. ^ "Mika Interview". Music Glob. 2007-01-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Is Mika gay?". Gay.com UK & Ireland. 2007-02-08. Retrieved 2007-04-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Brit pop star won't say which way he swings". Pink News. 2007-01-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ Cameron Adams (2007-03-15). "Cartoon hero". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2007-04-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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