Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam (aka M.I.A.)
I was a bit of a latecomer to the Arular party, partly because my ears didn't entirely understand what they were hearing and partly because I belligerently refused to believe the hype. There's always a natural turnoff factor when all the music mags tell you that something is cool... because it's pretty much their job to build people up and knock them down... but even a broken clock is right twice a day, and sometimes these critics do actually know what they're talking about it. Thankfully, I've now come to recognise M.I.A. as one of the most exciting and innovative artists this country has ever produced. Also one of the cutest. Check out the "Galang" video and you'll see that on top of all that, she's a pretty nifty mover too.
In light of the warm welcome Kala received in America, and the subsequent appearance of "Paper Planes" in the much beloved and Oscar-nominated Slumdog Millionaire, its ironic to note that the album almost didn't happen at all, because Arulpragasam was denied access to the country (and the apartment where her demos and tape recorders were kept) because of problems with her visa. It must be very reassuring to live in a country where your native neighbours can legally stockpile shotguns, but pesky foreigners are prevented from getting their hands on potentially tuneful musical equipment.
I'm very lame when it comes to writing about music that I like, so forgive the lack of hyperbole... I just love her sense of humour, and the jagged aural edges, and the consistent culture-shocks that come from listening to the souvenirs of her global wanderings. Her music always reminds me that I'm part of a much larger, more complicated world than most mainstream pop-culture would ever allude to. Some people think "Multiculturalism" is a dirty word, but I disagree... especially when Multiculturalism rocks this hard.
