- Sign up / Sign in | You can also
- Contact us
- Subscribe
Bio:
Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam, the daughter of a Tamil activist-turned militant, Arul Pragasam, was born in Hounslow, London. When she was six months of age, her family moved back to their native Sri Lanka. Motivated by his wish to support the Tamil militancy in Sri Lanka, her father became politically known as Arular and was a founding…
Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam, the daughter of a Tamil activist-turned militant, Arul Pragasam, was born in Hounslow, London. When she was six months of age, her family moved back to their native Sri Lanka. Motivated by his wish to support the Tamil militancy in Sri Lanka, her father became politically known as Arular and was a founding member of The Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students (EROS), a militant Tamil group. Her alias, M.I.A., stands for both Missing in Acton and Missing in Action.
Arulpragasam has an older sister, Kali, and a younger brother, Sugu. Due to the conflict, much of her young age was spent moving from home to home. Contact with her father was strictly limited, as she says he was in hiding from the Sri Lankan Army. As the civil war escalated, it became unsafe for the family to stay in Sri Lanka, so they relocated to Cennai, Tamil Nadu, India, moving into a derelict house, with sporadic visits from her father. They later settled in Jaffna again. By now, the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka was at its peak, and the family once again tried to flee the country. Eventually, Arulpragasam, her two siblings and mother Kala made it back to London where they were housed as refugees. It was in the late '80s, on a council estate in Mitcham (South London), that an eleven-year-old Arulpragasam began to learn the English language. Here she was exposed to Western radio for the first time, hearing broadcasts emanating from her neighbours' flats. Her affinity for hip-hop and rap began from there. Acts including Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, Roxanne Shante and N.W.A. would become just some of her early music influences.
Arulpragasam attended London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, where she studied Fine Art, Film and Video. Arulpragasam currently lives in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, New York in the United States.
see less biography
RDB Beats Out Competition at Urban Music Awards
Posted November 04th, 2009 11:11
RDB won Best Asian Act at this year's Urban Music Awards in London, grabbing the prize in front of well established artists like Jay Sean and M.I.A. Check out videos from all the contestants here and tell us which one you prefer..
What Makes a True Urban Desi Diva?
Posted October 14th, 2009 08:10
Check out our list of Urban Desi divas and decide which one is your favorite..
Urban Desi Artists and Their Signature Looks?
Posted August 19th, 2009 13:08
Take a look at some of the trendiest Urban Desi artists on the scene and take a look at what mainstream artists they resemble in their fashion sense..
MIA Directs Music Video
Posted June 17th, 2009 11:06
Sri Lankan Rapper, MIA directs her hype girl Rye Rye's new music video..
Desi Influences in HipHop and R&B Tracks
Posted June 12th, 2009 04:06
Check out what happens when HipHop and R&B artist add a Desi flare to their music. Watch music videos of songs that have done this and tell us which one is your favorite..
M.I.A. Speaks Out for Sri Lankan Civilians
Posted May 16th, 2009 06:05
Rapper M.I.A. maintains hope for those caught in the middle of war. Read to find out her recent statements on this issue..
M.I.A. and A.R. Rahman on Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential…
Posted April 30th, 2009 08:04
Read the article about M.I.A. and A.R. Rahman being recognized as two of the most influential people in the world..
M.I.A.'s Baby Out on the Town
Posted April 28th, 2009 05:04
Check out some pictures of M.I.A. and her baby boy out and about..
UK AMAs Weeks Away
Posted January 13th, 2009 12:01
Nominations for the UK AMAs are in.
Music Release for the 'Slumdog Millionaire' Soundtrack
Posted January 06th, 2009 15:01
The stars of the hit film, 'Slumdog Millionaire,' came out to the JW Marriott to celebrate the release of the film's soundtrack.
Marcus' Grammy Breakdown
Posted December 30th, 2008 09:12
not available.
Uber Preggers M.I.A. In an Exclusive Picture
Posted December 22nd, 2008 13:12
M.I.A. rocking Dr. Dre's latest headphone line.
M.I.A. Talks Retirement, Collabs and Pregnancy
Posted October 20th, 2008 07:10
Check out video of M.I.A.'s latest interview!.
Shock: M.I.A. Not Retiring
Posted August 28th, 2008 11:08
Oh the shock - M.I.A.'s not retiring, in fact she's doing the opposite. For all the details, click.
T.I., Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z and M.I.A?
Posted August 25th, 2008 12:08
Swagger Like Us, is one of Hip Hop's biggest collaborations to date, but what does M.I.A. have to do with it all? To find out and to listen to the song, click.
MIA's 'Paper Planes' Takes Off
Posted August 21st, 2008 09:08
MIA's latest track, Paper Planes is turning out to be her most mainstream track to date. For all the details, and to watch the video, click.
M.I.A - 'I'm not a terrorist'
Posted August 11th, 2008 16:08
Sri Lankan rapper Delon accuses M.I.A of being a terrorist. See what she has to say..
Bollywood Gets Shadey
Posted July 05th, 2008 21:07
Kunal Kapoor's tall, handsome and rugged good looks make him a natural choice to walk the runway, and he did just that with VJ Mia, for KL eyewear! To see the pictures, click.
M.I.A. Retiring?!
Posted June 14th, 2008 22:06
Say it ain't so!... Is M.I.A. really retiring?.
M.I.A. the Money Maker
Posted June 05th, 2008 20:06
M.I.A.'s got paid for latest performance, but how is she is spending that dough?.
MIA's New Man!
Posted May 31st, 2008 16:05
Looks like M.I.A. might be walking down the aisle very soon! Who's the new man in her life?.
Mmmh 9... Monday Music Must Haves
Posted November 12th, 2007 10:11
In a musical rut? Don’t know who to turn to? Not to worry! Desi Hits! is here to bring you the most bangin tunes from the past, present and future... and trust us when we say, these are MUST HAVES!!! PAST DR. ZEUS: ‘KANGNA’….
M.I.A Releases "Kala"
Posted August 21st, 2007 12:08
Its finally here but unfortunately "KALA" has only been released in the UK. Featuring bangers like BOYZ, JIMMY, BIRDFLU and XR2 it is essential for your street cred that its loaded on your iPod or Mp3 player. Click here or on M.I.A's picture….
Desi Hits! brings you Shock Value!
Posted February 03rd, 2007 12:02
The superstar producer and rapper, Timbaland, is about to drop his second album and what a line-up of talent he has rounded up! Making their appearances and paying back their dues on ‘Shock Value,’ are Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, JT (Justin….
Censoring M.I.A.
Posted December 17th, 2007 12:12
M.I.A.’s video for her new single ‘Paper Planes’ is out now, but just because it’s been released doesn’t mean she’s happy about it… in fact she’s down right pissed! She recently put up a….
Lyrical Assassin #4
Posted December 06th, 2007 17:12
Have you ever been listening to a song and thought to yourself... "WHAT THE @!&# DID HE OR SHE JUST SAY ?" Don't worry you're not alone! There's some lyrics out there that have the crew here at Desi Hits! scratching our heads in confusion and….
AKA #4 - Artist Real Names Revealed
Posted October 24th, 2007 11:10
Desi hitting YOU with another edition of AKA and this week we have Sri Lankan cross-over act M.I.A. This genre-bending chicks latest single, ‘Jimmy’ from her album, ‘Kala’ has been blowing up the Desi Hits! airwaves.….
Facebook Stalker #4
Posted October 02nd, 2007 08:10
Facebook, has taken over the world and the stars have created their own personal page and selected your favourite site DesiHits as their friend. So we’re giving you the opportunity to take a ride with us and become a celebrity Facebook….
Destination M.I.A.-MI
Posted July 23rd, 2007 12:07
One of our DesiHits! readers sent us in this pic of MIA recently performing at Coney Island in Miami....
Click here to play Spot the Desi in Miami.
M.I.A. gets 'Kala' with 'Boyz' in Jamaica!
Posted May 07th, 2007 12:05
M.I.A. who was once banned from entering the U.S. due to her outspoken political views was in sunny Jamaica last week to shoot the video for ‘Boyz,’ the first single from her upcoming album ‘Kala!’ To paraphrase a….
