Profile
Famous as :
Singer, producer, songwriterBirth Name :
Mathangi "Maya" ArulpragasamBirth Date :
July 17, 1977Birth Place :
Hounslow, London, EnglandClaim to fame :
Album "Arular" (2005)
M.I.A. Confirming Musical Retirement
August 29, 2008 11:08:52British musician M.I.A. finally comes out to make a statement concerning the latest rumor saying that she will leave music industry. The singer recently says to the media that she is not only stopping from touring but also from making music. "It was my last ever show. And it still is. I stopped touring after that and I didn't want to make music again. I was quite happy to just leave it all behind. I was happy with what I had achieved," the singer stated.
When asked whether the retirement will be permanent or just a couple-years break, she says that she is indeed tempted to make a follow-up for her successful single "Paper Plane", which is taken from her 2007 effort "Kala", but she has planned for another move. "With the success of 'Paper Planes', there's pull for me to make another record. Even my mum believes in me more," she said in a press release. "It's a nice encouragement. But I was planning my life as a fishing woman on the outskirts of Cambodia. That's a joke."
M.I.A. Hinted Retirement at Bonnaroo Festival
June 16, 2008 11:06:54British singer M.I.A. announced a surprising news to her fans as in her concert at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival on Friday, June 13, she hinted her retirement. The singer mentioned her statements about three times during her performance at the concert saying, "This is my last show."
Making her retirement statements clearer, on one occasion during her set after saying "this is my last show", she also added, "and I'm glad that I'm spending it with all my hippies!". Beside announcing the surprising decision at the concert, M.I.A. even let some of her fans, who broke through the barricades and climbed on the stage, to stay with her from the midway of the event until most of her songs.
M.I.A. Building Schools for Liberia With Paycheck
June 05, 2008 02:06:22M.I.A., the outspoken British/Sri Lankan rapper is giving back to the community with the paycheck that she earned for performing. The star will make use of her $100,000 salary that she earned as the guest singer of MTV Movie Awards after-party on Sunday, June 1 to build schools in Liberia.
"They're giving me $100,000. Not bad, eh? I'm going to use it to build schools in Liberia," M.I.A. who climbed on a photo booth told the crowd. "It costs $52,000 to build a school for 1,000."
After two civil wars that ended in 1996 and 2003 respectively, Liberia has been in a state of flux that cost many lives and crushed the country's economy.
British Singer M.I.A. Engaged to Wed
June 02, 2008 12:06:36M.I.A. is off the single market. The British singer-songwriter is engaged to marry.
She made public her engagement to Benjamin Brewer, the son of Warner Music Group Chairman and CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr., during her concert at the Edmonton Event Centre Tuesday night, May 27. Didn't disclose more details about her engagement, M.I.A. according to a source in the know engaged to Benjamin last week.
British Rapper M.I.A. Turns Fashion Designer
May 16, 2008 02:05:27Is a vocalist, record producer, songwriter/composer and visual artist, M.I.A. is turning herself into fashion designer. Becoming the model for fashion designer Marc Jacobs' spring 2008 line has apparently given her the inspiration to finally come out with her own line of clothing.
On her venturing into the fashion business, the British rapper explained "You can't really be dressed in Marc Jacobs' clothes when you're on tour. They're too nice." That's why "I have my own label now," so she said, referring her collection as "the only thing I've been wearing recently."
M.I.A.'s 'Paper Planes' Video Sabotaged With Censorship
December 18, 2007 11:12:35Visual and outspoken artist, M.I.A., has slammed MTV for taking a major part in streaming the censored version of her latest video, 'Paper Planes'. The British rapper is left fumed after finding out that the gunshots sound from her video has been replaced by the sound of cash register.
She wrote on her MySpace that the video has been sabotaged and that she's "disappointed" for the violation to her "dying art". The post read: "I made the Paper Planes video. I made it how they wanted. No violence. Ambiguous. MTV-friendly. Now today, I check YouTube and see the leaked MTV Paper Planes video up for the first time. I clicked on it and out comes this f**ked up mess with double-tracked bulls**t mess."
Video Premiere: M.I.A.'s 'Paper Planes'
December 17, 2007 09:12:01The latest video from M.I.A.'s 'Kala' has been premiered on MTV. The British singer pulls 'Paper Planes' as the third single from her August-released album.
It was directed by Bernard Gourley who recently also released the video of Backstreet Boys' 'Helpless When She Smiles'. According to some reports, the song was re-recorded for the video so that each word in the lyrics will be more sonorous.
Start Voting for 4th Annual MTVU Nominees!
September 20, 2007 12:09:33
MTVU annual award show, Woodie, has announced its nominees with The Shins on the lead. The indie rock group are up for three categories 'Alumni Woodie', 'Viral Woodie' and the prestigious 'Woodie of the Year' . For the latter, they will compete against Amy Winehouse, Common, Gym Class Heroes and Lily Allen.
Further down the list, Modest Mouse, Gym Class Heroes, Allen, Justice, Linkin Park, and The Academy Is... take two nominations each, while others such as Arcade Fire, Lil Wayne, Bright Eyes, The Knife, Klaxons, M.I.A., Spoon, Cansei de Ser Sexy, The Rapture, TV on the Radio, Thom Yorke and Paramore get their fair share of one nomination each.
M.I.A. Premiering 'Jimmy' Music Video
August 07, 2007 01:08:26
Arguably one of the hottest acts in recent Lollapalooza, M.I.A. has found herself a place in the music industry. The British-Srilankan rapper is up with the release of her second album 'Kala' that has been proceeded by two singles, the new one being 'Jimmy'.
The song was another Switch production that also helmed the first single 'Boyz'. It was based on a track called 'Jimmy Jimmy Aaja' that M.I.A. used to do as a routine when she was a child. "My mum used to hire me out when I was a kid as a party buffer," she recalled. "It was my track that I used to do my routine to. I had a little tape recorder, and a cloak and a cardboard cut out guitar, and that was my joint."
M.I.A. Is Set to Release "Kala"
April 11, 2007 11:04:30
M.I.A.'s stay in the studio since early 2006 has brought a result in an album titled "Kala". The third studio album will be released by the rapper on June 26 via XL/Interscope Records.
Just like the 2005's "Arular", this piece is produced by various musicians that include Mr. Bangladesh, Danja Handz, Diplo, Three 6 Mafia, Timbaland and many more. The first single "Bird Flu" is already available for listening in her MySpace blog, so do the tracks "XR2" and "Talk About Moi"
This Year's Sasquatch! Music Festival Headliners
February 21, 2007 11:02:25
Among the headliners for this year's Sasquatch! Music Festival are Bjork, Beastie Boys, Arcade Fire, Interpol, and M.I.A.. As of this year, the festival is set to take place May 26-27 at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Wash.
Sasquatch! Music Festival is a music festival held annually at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington. It is presented by the House of Blues. Tickets for the 6th annual Sasquatch! Music Festival will go on sale beginning March 3 at 10 a.m. and will cost $55 U.S. per day until March 4. After March 5, tickets are $65 per day; week-of tickets are $75 per day. For more information about ticket sales and camping arrangements, check out www.sasquatchfestival.com.
M.I.A. Banned from Entering the U.S.
May 24, 2006 03:05:00
Reports on the street mention that immigration officials have banned M.I.A. from entering the US. Further report claims that the singer has been failed in her bid to get a U.S. visa.
Explaining on what actually happens, M.I.A. reveals that she actually was scheduled to work with acclaimed hip-hop production pioneer Timbaland on the record. And in an online message posted at her MySpace site she said "I was mennu work with timber startin' this week...I'm locked out! They wont let me in! Now I'm strictly making my album outside the borders"
The New Pantheon Awards Finalists
January 13, 2006 03:01:42Numbers of names have been listed as the finalists for the inaugural New Pantheon Awards which replacing the Shortlist Prize in recognizing noteworthy albums that have sold fewer than 500,000 copies in the United States. Among the 10 names mentioned, there we have Fiona Apple, Antony and the Johnsons, and Arcade Fire.
Apple's "Extraordinary Machine", Arcade Fire's "Funeral", and Antony and the Johnsons' "I Am a Bird Now" will all vie for the award. The rest of the finalists among others include Animal Collective's "Feels," Bloc Party's "Silent Alarm," Death Cab for Cutie's "Plans," The Decemberists' "Picaresque," Kings of Leon's "Aha Shake Heartbreak," M.I.A.'s "Arular," and Sufjan Stevens' "Illinois."
