M.I.A

What a way to kickstart April blog!

Its 11:28 am on a beautiful Saturday morning and my laptop is buzzing with MIA's music.

It all started yesterday night with me watching MIA's video of paper planes. I have heard Paper planes in Slumdog OST and had loved it. Awesome beats! I was under the impression that Rehman had composed the song as well. I was so wrong. Coming back to the video, it was not a great video except in the first and last scene when paper planes are flying over NY. But then in the related section, i saw some other songs by MIA. And thus began my journey yesterday night.

First some links
[Read about MIA at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.I.A._(artist)]
Her myspace page http://www.myspace.com/mia]
Her website: http://www.miauk.com/
Her youtube page: http://www.youtube.com/worldtown
Kala: her second album playlist -

Now, about her music:
MIA's music is extremely experimental. Her myspace layout explains a lot about her music. Its very colorful, very vibrant and contains many layers. But her lyrics are political, about issues and direct. If Kimya Dawson was my find of 2008 with her experimental music, MIA is doing that in 2009. She is saying what she wants to say and music just remixes the content. She is like Rahman gone extreme with beats. She is Tamillian who has lived in Sri Lanka, India, UK and now US. The impact of bollywood music is present in many of her songs.

She made a remix of Jimmy from Disco Dancer. Now Jimmy is one of my favourite songs and it reminds me of that era of Bappi Lahiri. It is simply a great number. She takes that song, keeps its music but changes lyrics to this:
When you go Rwanda Congo
Take me on ya genocide tour
Take me on a truck to Darfur
Take me where you would go

Got static on ya satellite phone
Got to get you safe at home
Got to get you some where warm
So you get me all alone

Jimmy Aaja
Jimmy Aaja
Jimmy Aaja


But still that tune, if you can play it in your head is there. Jimmy is not MIA's best song but it tells a lot about the music she likes and it tells what she is trying to say in her songs.
Other good songs from the playlist are Boyz, Hussel, and Bamboo Banga. All are super cool.
Her videos again bore her stamp. People dancing, wearing colorful clothes, and a political/social message going in backdrop.

It is sad that it took Slumdog to bring MIA to me but its cool as well. May be this blogpost will take MIA to someone else :). Listen to her, she is showing a new different way.