Biography
[..] In 1991, Mica's second album,'Contribution', was released. This extended Mica's soul and gospel influences to bring in hip-hop and house music and included a track written especially for Mica by Prince, which she recorded at his Paisley Park studios.
Her third album, 'Whisper a Prayer' (1993), marked another departure for Mica, fusing soul, jazz and blues with lush string arrangements.
Mica then decided to take a break from recording and turned to the stage, where she starred in two acclaimed West End shows, 'Mama I Want to Sing' and 'Sweet Lorraine'.
In 1997 she returned to the studio to record and produce her fourth album, 'Black Angel', and in 2001, another collaboration, this time with Dave Gilmore and Jools Holland on Screamin' Jay Hawkins' classic track, 'I Put A Spell On You', once again topped the charts.
In 2002 Mica extended her talents into broadcasting. She presented two shows for television: a documentary tracing the influence of gospel on American popular music, 'The Gospel of Gospel', for Lion Television and Channel 4, which featured interviews with legendary artists Ray Charles, BB King, Al Green, Issac Hayes and Chaka Khan; and Channel 4's 'Gospel Singer of the Year' competition.
She also began hosting her own radio show, 'Soul Solutions', on BBC Radio 2. With an average of half a million listeners, it is the most successful soul and R&B show in the UK.
Mica also recorded a single with dance music producers M-Gee, 'Bodyswerve', released on independent label Swing City, which has become a gay anthem and a club classic and is now licensed all over the world.
In January 2003 she played to a sell-out crowd at London's Jazz Café, and broadcast a two-part show, 'Purple Reign: The Prince Story', on BBC Radio 2 which covered the entirety of the American artist's controversial career and featured interviews with George Clinton, Chaka Khan and Jimmy Jam.
She also received a coveted Gold Badge Award from the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters for her outstanding contribution to British entertainment.
2004 saw the release of the single, 'Heart', recorded in collaboration with The Seraphim Suite.
During the year she also toured with the highly acclaimed stage play, 'The Vagina Monologues', recorded her fifth album, 'If You Could Love Me', broadcast a six-part series on Aretha Franklin for BBC Radio 2, and was listed in the Top 100 Great Black Britons.
Now, with her new album of classic soul songs, Mica reconnects with her roots and reinforces her reputation as one of the finest soul vocalists to have emerged this side of the Atlantic.
2005 - Soul Classics 'Soul Classics', created with producer Brian Rawlings, sounds like the record Mica's been waiting half her lifetime to make.
With its track-listing culled from listeners' votes on her BBC Radio 2 show, 'Soul Solutions', it finds Mica tackling some of the greatest songs in the soul canon, many of them made famous by male singers, and giving them her own unique spin and perspective. 'Soul Classics' marries traditional soul values and Mica's desire to reinterpret and reinvigorate songs that have a timeless resonance.
She doesn't just sing these songs, she inhabits them: and by reconnecting so determinedly with her roots she has reinforced her reputation as one of the finest soul vocalists to have emerged from the British Isles.
In 2006, Mica made her TV appearance as one of the presenters of BBC1’s fashion makeover show, “What Not To Wear” exceeding the ratings of the previous presenters Trinny and Suzanna.
Mica is now promoting her first book, “Beautiful Within” published by Simon and Schuster and is currently in studio, recording with renowned producer Brian Rawlings, the album is due to be released in April 2008.