Countdown to Eurovision 2017 - Ukraine's entry for 2011

Mika Newton represented Ukraine at the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest, winning fourth place with her song Angel.

She was born Oksana Stefanivna Grytsay (Оксана Стефанівна Грицай) on March 5, 1986, in Burshtyn,  western part of Ukraine. She grew up in Ukraine, and currently resides in Los Angeles, California, where she is pursuing an acting as well as a singing career.

Her first name, Mika, is a derivative from Mick Jagger's first name. Newton stands for a new tone.

As a young child, she taught herself to sing by imitating famous artists she heard on the radio. A natural-born performer, she would beg her mother to invite friends over so she could have an audience to perform for.

By age nine, she was entering regional voice competitions.

Inspired by a video she saw of Michael Jackson, she decided to enrol in performing arts school. At the age of 16, Mika moved to Kyiv, where she studied vocals at the College of Circus and Variety Arts.

She continued to compete in local and international talent contests, more often than not taking first place and eventually attracting the attention of music industry talent scouts. At 16, she was signed with the record label Falyosa Family Factory.

Before the Eurovision Song Contest, Mika released two albums. She also provided theme songs to a number of popular Ukrainian and Russian films and television shows, earning herself the nickname, the “Queen of Soundtracks.”

Soon JK Music Group invited Mika to Los Angeles for a two-week recording session, where she also had the opportunity to perform in front of Grammy Award-winning producer Randy Jackson.

After winning 4th-place in Eurovision Song Contest 2011, Mika Newton signed a contract with JK Music Group and Randy Jackson's Friendship Collective. In June 2011 she moved to Los Angeles, where she started developing her music career as a pop-rock singer in the USA.

In the Eurovision finals on  May14, 2011 Newton was accompanied in her performance by sand-artist Kseniya Simonova,who was the 2009 winner of Ukraine's Got Talent.

Here is Mika Newton and her 4th place finish for Eurovision 2011, Angel.

 

To hear about all of Ukraine's top ten place finishes in Eurovision, check out the podcast of the April 29th, 2017 Vancouver edition of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio here.