February 25th, 2007

Chris Keeley

http://myspace.com/mia

http://myspace.com/mia

Nickeldime

M.I.A.

In 2005 M.I.A., the Sri Lanka-born, London-raised rapper, released her acclaimed debut, “Arular,” a wildly inventive mash-up of punk, hip-hop, dancehall and electro. Now she’s added South Asian sounds to the mix. Her electrifying new single, “Bird Flu,” was partly recorded in South India, where she also filmed the video posted on her MySpace page (myspace.com/mia). The track is pure, surreal rhythm: thunderous dhol drums, poultry squawks and chanting children. (It may be included on her as-yet-untitled album, due in June on Interscope.) Last year a “bird flu dance” craze swept the Ivory Coast and Jamaica. It involves imitating a dying chicken, and naturally you can find plenty of examples on YouTube. In a highlight of M.I.A.’s video, a tiny boy leads a group of dancing villagers, flapping his arms like wings.


http://myspace.com/mia