M.I.A. is the performing name of Maya Arulpragasam, an artist and singer known for the dancehall hits "Galang" and "Sunshowers." Arulpragasam grew up in Sri Lanka in a family that was among the Tamil minority. Political upheaval spurred her mother to apply for refugee status in Britain, and in 1986 the family moved to London. Arulpragasam studied film at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and began her career as a documentary maker. After discovering the joys of a drum machine, she began writing her own songs and distributing mix-tapes and singles on her own. A blend of hip-hop and reggae rhythms with politicized lyrics, her singles "Galang" and "Sunshowers" became dancehall and DJ favorites in 2003 and 2004. Music videos and word of mouth helped boost the anticipation of her first album, Arular, released internationally in 2005. She also made news at the 2009 Grammy Awards, when she performed onstage while nine months pregnant with her first child.
In military argot, "M.I.A." stands for "missing in action"... Mia was born in London to Sri Lankan parents. Her family moved back to Sri Lanka when she was an infant, then later returned to England again.
M.I.A. gives players a chance to fly helicopters and other craft during the Vietnam War. Available choppers include the AH-1 Cobra, OH-6 Loach, the HH-53 (the "Jolly"), the M113 APC, the H-21 (the "Shawnee"), UH-1 Gunship (the "Huey"), and the ACH-47A Gunship (the "Chinook"). Players will navigate 26 missions, experience 3D terrain and action, rescue troops Missing In Action, escort commandos, destroy enemy targets, and assault Vietcong installations. Historical campaigns (1965-1975) feature realistic technology and upgrades. Weapons include the M16, the M60, the GUA-2A mini-gun, the 20mm cannon, 40mm anti-personnel grenades, 2.75" rockets, and TOW missiles. Top-secret weapons include the "flamer" flamethrower, the 30mm cannon, and napalm grenades. Pilots will also drop flares and smoke grenades, call in napalm strikes, request artillery support, drop SEAL teams, and participate in gunship assaults.
If you read a lot about new music on the Web, odds are pretty good that, at some point between the September 2004 release of "Galang" and the March 2005 release of Arular, you were struck with the urge to turn your computer off or maybe even heave it out of a nearby window. If you don't read a lot about new music on the Web, the preceding sentence indicates how bewildering and draining the chatter about M.I.A. became. Arular, M.I.A.'s first album, leaked well before its official release, allowing journalists and downloaders plenty of time to dissect it and bat ideas back and forth -- taking in the sounds, words, and absolutely all of the context -- before average music fans were able to develop their own opinions.
Maya Arulpragasam spent the early years of her life in a number of places. She moved from London, England, to her parents' native Sri Lanka at the age of six months, only to relocate to Madras, India. During a return stay in Sri Lanka, the civil war taking place within the country escalated to the point where Arulpragasam began to lose family members and friends. She didn't see her father -- a devout and active separatist as part of the Tamil rebellion, which has clashed with the Sinhalese majority -- often throughout these years, but her life stabilized once she and the rest of her family were able to make it back to London.
As a student, Arulpragasam became involved in the arts and published a monogram book of her paintings -- titled M.I.A. and heavily influenced by the Tamil rebellion. She later connected with Elastica, providing the photography and graphics for the group's second album, and she shot footage during their American tour. Elastica's support act, Peaches, introduced her to the Roland MC-505, a sequencer she became familiar with after returning home. Steve Mackey (Pulp) and Ross Orton became involved after hearing a demo; they made adjustments to "Galang," a song that was then pressed into 500 copies and released, under the name M.I.A., by the Showbiz label. It didn't take long for the song -- a bold, righteous amalgamation of hip-hop, electro, dancehall, grime, and baile funk -- to make an impact with DJs. She wound up signing a contract with XL, which re-released the single and, eventually, debut album Arular in 2005. Anticipation for the release was considerable, only heightened by the Piracy Funds Terrorism mixtape she put together with DJ Diplo. Her second album, Kala, was released in 2007 and was recorded while spending time in numerous countries. M.I.A. produced most of its tracks with Switch; Blaqstarr, Diplo, and Timbaland also contributed. One single from the album, "Paper Planes," became a surprise hit in summer 2008 after it was used in trailers for the film Pineapple Express; it eventually reached the Top Ten. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
