Mika X

Mika was born Terrance John Pou, ==Early life==

Terrance John Pou was born on 8 February 1962 in Timaru, New Zealand to Elizabeth Halkett and was adopted at birth by New Zealand European couple Dawn and Bill Gudsell. He came out as gay at age 12. While attending Timaru Boys High School, he played rugby and competed in athletics, including at the national athletics championship. In 1988 Gudsell placed eighth in the inaugural Suzuki World Cup aerobic championships. In 1982, Gudsell moved to Los Angeles with his boyfriend, an African-American man in the US Navy, for nine months before returning to New Zealand. Gudsell moved to Christchurch in 1984 and attended the New Zealand School of Dance in 1985, but left the school nine months later. == Performance career ==

Early stage and television work In 1985, Gudsell joined Te Ohu Whakaari, a Wellington Maori theatre company which toured nationally and internationally. The next year, he left Te Ohu Whakaari and moved to Dunedin to work on a Te Maori exhibition. In 1989, he played Constable Ra in the TV drama Shark in the Park and also the young Carmen Rupe in the TV biopic Carmen. His solo show Neil Gudsell Uncooked produced by Merata Mita was performed at the 1990 Adelaide Fringe. Stage shows I Loved me a Man, Lava Lover and Pearl Harbour 1990–1994 (left) In 1990, the single I Have Loved Me a Man was released and reached 46th on the New Zealand music singles charts. Credited as Neil Mika Gudsell, Mika played the minor role of takatāpui man Tahu in the 1993 film The Piano. Mika performed at the 1992 Hero Party at Princes Wharf in Auckland, singing his original song "Lava Lover". The performance, which began with a karanga with Mika on top of the stage, included over 300 performers: drag queens, Pacific Island dancers, lesbian taiaha, and men in semen costumes. His backdrop was Keith Haring-inspired art featuring yellow squares with condom symbols and safe-sex messaging. He ended his performance with a gay haka that he created called "Tenei Toku Ure". In 1996, Mika released his first debut album titled Do U Like What U See. A music video was released for the title track. Mika performed at the 1997 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He was cast in the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Timaru Theatre in October 1997. and then toured internationally. They performed several times at the Edinburgh Festival. Torotoro dancers featured in music videos for the songs "Ahi Atāahua" and "Wera Wera". In 2004, Mika starred in his own TV variety show on Maori Television, Mika Live which first aired on 28 March. It was renamed Te Mika Show in 2006. Aotea Centre, Mika Versus Fashion, Rugby World Cup, Salon Mika 2010–2013 In March 2010, alongside the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Mika performed at the ASB Theatre at Aotea Centre to open the Aroha Festival. The show was a gala-like event that featured performances that were in the festival and Mika performing his greatest hits including "Lava Lover" and "Do U Like What U See". The show had over 760 performers and it took months of rehearsals before the event took place. The show played twice on the same day with the first show going from 6 pm to 7:30 pm and second show from 8 pm to 10 pm, with thousands of people attending both times. The second show was prerecorded and broadcast on Māori TV on 14 October 2011. The event happened at the same time as Ireland v Russia and Argentina vs Scotland in the Rugby World Cup. The event featured Rena Owen as the storyteller and MC for the evening, and Mika performing his well known singles, "In the morning" (feat Keisha Castle-Hughes), Lava Lover RWC version (feat Edward Ru), "Wera Wera" (feat Erakah), Taniwha (feat Te Tai Tonga), Caged Animals (feat Kiri Nathan), Friend (feat everyone), and "Get It On" a remix of an earlier song called Spoof. In 2012, Mika assumed the role as chair person for the non-profit organisation, "Ngā Aho Whakaari". Ngā Aho Whakaari is a not-for-profit Incorporated Society that represents Māori who work in the New Zealand screen industry. Mika ended his role in 2013. In 2013, Auckland had its own Fringe Festival. Mika did a season of cabaret shows with a live band and special guest including Megan Alatini at one of Auckland's busiest nightclubs "Switch Bar". The show was called "Salon Mika". Mika went on to perform eight shows during the festival, to a sell-out crowd. With the success of Salon Mika, he decided to take the cabaret show on tour across the world. Dress to Express, Coffee, Loved Me a Man 2014–2016 On Waitangi Day 2014, Mika put together a small variety show at one of Auckland's nightclubs. Mika Haka opened the event with a branded new song, a remixed version of "Loved Me a Man" featuring Lavina Williams. The music video of the song was released in October 2016. The video showed some of Mika's past performances in music, video and art. It shows Mika singing in a night club in an intimate setting and seeing Mika as a gay Maori Jesus-like character. Queens of Panguru, Swimming with Sharks, Salon Mika Live 2017–2019 Throughout 2016 and 2017, the filming and editing of Queens of Panguru was in production. Mika was the creator, creative designer and executive producer of the TV series. Some of Mika's music also featured in the TV series. The show was televised weekly on Māori Television, with the premiere on 22 March 2017. In February 2017, Mika released his fourth album, Swimming with Sharks. The album featured dance and electronic versions of his original music including "Swimming with Sharks", "Taniwha" and "In the Morning" which featured Keisha Castle-Hughes. Mika also featured in Costa Kerdemelidis' song "Tango on a Tightrope" from Kermelidis' 2017 album The Big Shake. In October 2017, Mika put together a charity concert to raise money and supplies for the Auckland City Mission to give to the homeless in Auckland City. In August 2018, Mika released a Live Album from his Salon Mika caberate show that he performed at the Edinburgh fringe festival. In June 2019, Mika returned to his hometown of Timaru and accepted 2018 Teschemaker Cup for his contribution to demonstrating outstanding achievement in his chosen field of performing arts at his high school, Timaru Boys' High School. On 10 September 2019, it was announced that Mika was cast as Ngati Haua entertainer for "Natives Go Wild" show at the Sydney Opera House. He will perform in seven shows between 22 and 27 October. Aroha Collective and rereleased music 2020 On 10 April 2020, Mika released his fifth album "The Aroha Collective". The album was originally scheduled to be released on New Zealand's version of Anti-Bullying Day, "Pink Shirt Day" on May 18, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand Mika released the album early to give provide content during lockdown. The album was a collaboration album sung in Te Reo featuring artists including Lavina Williams, King Homeboy, Yorke and Te Amo. The event was televised internationally in FITE and in New Zealand on Sky TV Sky Sports. == Directing career ==

GURL Mika directed, wrote, produced, and played the lead role in the short film GURL about the life of drag queen Carmen Rupe. Production began in 2019 and the 20-minute film premiered at the 2020 New Zealand International Film Festival as part of a collection of Māori and Pasifika short films. Mika also wrote the album soundtrack to the movie which released on 24 July 2020. ==Conviction for attempting to dissuade a witness==

In April 2017, Mika X met with a person who had been sexually abused by businessman and arts patron James Wallace. Wallace was facing charges over the abuse, and the victim was someone who wanted to get into the entertainment industry. Mika offered to pay the victim $15,000 to drop the charges. Mika also offered the victim work in the Gold Coast and the United States. In April 2018, Mika was charged for attempting to pervert the course of justice. He was granted temporary name suppression while on trial. The trial was originally scheduled in June 2020, but due to COVID-19 it was postponed. In February 2021, Mika pleaded guilty on two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice, and on 30 March 2021, he was sentenced to 11 months of home detention. James Wallace was found guilty of three counts of indecent assault and two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice; he was jailed for two years and four months. ==Politics==

Mika stood for The Opportunities Party in Auckland Central at the 2017 New Zealand general election, and was ranked tenth on TOP's party list. He came fourth in the electorate, with 681 votes, and did not enter Parliament. ==Discography==

Singles • "I Have Loved Me a Man" (1990) • "Juiced" (1991) • "Lava Lover" (1992) • "Do U Like What U See?" (1996) • "My Angel" (2000) • "Ahi Ataahua" (2001) • "Werawera" (2001) • "Poti with Te Plastic Maori" (2007) • "The Closer I Get to You" feat. Mirrah (2008) • "Dress to Express" feat. Zakk d'Larté and Hannah Martin (2014) • "Coffee" feat. Lavina Williams (2014) • "Loved Me a Man" feat. Lavina Williams (2016) EPs • Juiced (1992) Albums • Do U Like What U See (1996) • Mika Haka (2001, rereleased in 2020) • Mika Versus Fashion (2010) • The Aroha Collective (2020) • Gurl The Movie soundtrack (2020) Remix album • Swimming with Sharks (2017) Live albums • Kapai Kabaret (1996) • Salon Mika Live in Edinburgh (2018) Other appearances ==Performances and tours==