M.I.A: "I am actually British but I of course come from Sri Lanka and I am Tamil.

Exclusive Interview: M.I.A.
January 12 2009 20:15 PST

M.I.A: "It's really simple, Tamil people have to have the right to live. They have been successful with genocide in that country and are not being condemned from doing it. In the future, people need to learn that you cannot wipe out a whole race."


By: Anita Chatterjee

The heart of Sri Lanka's civilians, the soul of United Kingdom, and the memories of being a Sri Lankan refugee are all parts of what creates M.I.A's flow! Maya Arulpragasam, better known as her stage name M.I.A., experienced a journey that is heard through her music. The Grammy Awards nominated artist was born in the UK. Six months after her birth, she and her family moved to Sri Lanka where M.I.A spent the next ten years of her life. During this time, a conflict between the insurgent Tamil separatists and the majority Sinhanlese broke out into a war. M.I.A's father was one of the founders of the political group, The Tamil Tigers, an organization classified as a terrorist group in the United States. M.I.A fled Sri Lanka with her mother and first took refuge in India. They later went to London, where M.I.A learned how to speak in English. These were the early years of her life that have contributed to her works and have resulted in her being the distinguished artist that she is today. I had the opportunity to sit down with her to discuss her success and her thoughts on the industry, to try to get a grasp on her view of her world.

DH! : What does success mean to you and what was your journey to success?

M.I.A: "I severely question that, I am a civilian Tamil refugee and I am the only Tamil in the media in the west. People have done big things in India, but as a Tamil its very interesting being here right now. I don't know if success means what you do as a refugee, how you make things happen without falling or getting killed? Things are different for me now that I am nominated for a Grammy. It is interesting and quite scary that I am the only Tamil person in the media in the west. So right now I am severely questioning that."

DH! : What do you consider your nationality to be?

M.I.A: "I am actually British but I of course come from Sri Lanka and I am Tamil. I put on the TV and see what's going on in Sri Lanka and how people are being mistreated and it makes me question my connection to Sri Lanka. My origin is from Sri Lanka so I am British Tamil."

DH! : What is your vision for Sri Lanka.

M.I.A: "It's really simple, Tamil people have to have the right to live. They have been successful with genocide in that country and are not being condemned from doing it. In the future, people need to learn that you cannot wipe out a whole race."

DH!: How does your music represent you?

M.I.A : "Well, it represents me because I think it was impossible to make stuff the way I did if I didn't have that life style, it represents me being a Sri Lankan refugee. The sound and imagery and the style comes from real life."

DH!: What is the mission behind your music?

M.I.A: "The mission is I want to be the person who is basically reflecting art. I was a Sri Lankan refugee, and I don't want people to misinterpret my work .I want to represent a Tamil citizen, not Tamil politics but a Tamil civilian. The situation I was in can apply to anywhere in the world, whether it is a person from Sri Lanka or Myanmar. It's interesting because I have experienced being a refugee in this generation. When you watch movies like 'Bhaji On The Beach,' it shows the second generation Desi culture. In my case, I was a refugee in my generation so I can actually remember the experience."

DH:! In recent times, your music has become more mainstream and popular amongst the public. Because of this, many artists such as Timbaland and even A.R. Rahman have collaborated with you to create music. So, of course considering the DesiHits! audience and seeing the massive success of 'Slumdog Millionaire,' I had to ask how your experience working with A.R. Rahman had been.

M.I.A: "He is a well-respected [artist]. When I was young as a kid, he was one of my idols. He is great and I enjoyed working with him. He takes music to a different place for me."

DH!: It is quite evident that you send out strong messages to the world through your music, so what are the key messages that you would teach your child as you are an expecting mother?

M.I.A: "I would teach my child tons of things. I want my child to see the third world countries, and be humble about what he or she has, and have sound judgment."

DH! : So do you want a boy or a girl?

M.I.A: "It doesn't matter to me. If it is a girl, she will be a tough girl, but I think I may have a boy, because I have a pointy stomach."

From living the life of a refugee, to learning the language of a foreign land, and making a name in the international music industry, M.I.A's life can be considered a success story. So, after hearing about her career and her journey, one has to wonder what M.I.A's biggest accomplishment has been thus far. Her answer was shockingly simple, yet somehow humbling and natural, "Being pregnant."
M.I.A.