M.I.A. Brings Politics To Paradise

"Sunshowers" was the first M.I.A. track off the 2005 release Arular to make the Bostonist iPod morning playlist; at 8:45 a.m., a good beat and a 70’s disco sample are all one needs to pass up Dunkins without second thought. Bostonist would report into work feeling upbeat, shiny and happy. Admittedly, the lyrics were a bit hard to follow, but that all seemed secondary. When the beat fully saturated the subconscious, the words began to reveal themselves: "He had Colgate on his teeth and Reebok Classics on his feet. At a factory he does Nike and then he helps the family." Ah catchy, might there be a narrative here? But wait, what was that about "Semi-9 and Snipered him" and the "P.L.O."? When it all pieces together "Sunshowers" is about a man murdered for suggested association with Muslims. Suddenly 8:45 a.m. was heavier than expected.

Reviews from the M.I.A. and LCD Soundsystem show at the Avalon in June circled back all aglow. "Hot" was the ubiquitous descriptor, while the revolutionary undertones garnered little notice. When it was announced that M.I.A. was returning to our cradle of independence, Bostonist put it on her must-see concert line up, determined to better understand the M.I.A. M.O. Thus, this past Friday, Bostonist and crew ventured into the depths of the Paradise with eager ears.

From entrance to exit, M.I.A. had the Paradise crowd in the palm of her hand. As she said, we did. The venue became the music. The air was sticky, dirty and gritty. The energy was electric, galang galang galang. Bostonist wasn't sure if she was in Kingston, or an underground club in London, but it certainly didn't feel or look or sound like the Paradise per usual. M.I.A. played selections from Arular backed by DJ/Producer Diplo. "Bucky Done Gun" with a well-placed Boston reference was a stand out; “Pull Up the People” and “Galang” were homeruns too. Really, the only disappointment of the evening was “Sunshowers”, which fell somewhat flat when backed by M.I.A.’s stage partner Cherry.

M.I.A. is voicing a political message, abeit probing more than overt, through the well-packaged, well-oiled machine of Arular. Read up on the biography of Maya Arulpragasam, and the context falls into place. The intriguing component is that her brand of hip hop/reggae-infused dancehall music is so infectious, you don’t realize she’s communicating her politics until it’s said and done. At the Paradise, M.I.A. told her audience, "As an artist, I have an opportunity to antagonize. I ask the questions, you find the answers." And while typing it now she comes off as rather self-important, delivered from the pixie, Sri Lanken beauty on Friday night, the crowd, Bostonist included, ate up every last word. Honda must have too, because they recently picked up “Galang” as a backdrop for their new Honda Civic Si commercial. With corporate America under her belt, we can only imagine what’s next for Miss M.I.A.

Photo courtesy of flickr.com / user: tastypiesinc