You are here: MaxAbout.com > People

M.I.A.

Personal Profile

M.I.A.
  • Birth Name:
    Maganthi Maya Arulpragasam
  • Nickname:
    Maya
  • Date of Birth:
    July 18, 1975
  • Zodiac Sign:
    Cancer
  • Place of Birth:
    Hounslow, London, England, UK
  • Height:
    1.66 m
  • Sex:
    Female
  • Nationality:
    Sri Lankan
  • Education:
    London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design

Family

M.I.A.
  • Father:
    Kala Pragasam
  • Mother:
    Arul Pragasam
  • Spouse:
    Ben Brewer

Career

M.I.A.

Trivia

M.I.A.
  • Raised in Sri Lanka, where her father was a guerilla fighter.
  • Was born in Hounslow, London.
  • When she was six months old, her family moved back to their native Sri Lanka.
  • She eventually returned to her birthplace in London, where she and her family were housed as refugees.
  • Some of her early influences were: Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, Roxanne Shante and N.W.A
  • Went to London's Central Saint Martins Art School, where she studied fine art, film and video.
  • "M.I.A." is an acronym for Missing In Acton, in reference to the gritty section of London she lived in.
  • Her first public art exhibition show was nominated for the alternative Turner prize, every painting sold and a monograph book of the collection was published by Pocko.
  • After hearing his single, "News Flash", and loving it, Arulpragasam tracked down and met with Diplo, the Mississippi-born DJ originally named Wesley Pentz, to work on some material.
  • Her father was 'Arul Pragasam', leader of 'Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students'(aka EROS) one of the main Tamil anti-government organization operating in Sri Lanka.

Quotes

M.I.A.
  • "It had that same homelessness about it. It didn't have a particular genre, which is what people always say to me: Your song doesn't fit anywhere. So I went on a mad mission to find other people like that, because then we could make a home." - her thoughts when she heard one of Diplo's songs for the first time.
  • "Those records were rhythmic, so whether you understood the language or not, you could understand the music."
View all Quotes: M.I.A.

Biography

M.I.A.
Last Updated: Thursday, June 04, 2009

Born in Hounslow, London, M.I.A. aka Mathangi 'Maya' Arulpragasam is of Sri Lankan-Tamil origin. A graphic artist, singer and video director, she's the daughter of Kala and Arul Pragasam. Her father was a founding member of The Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students (EROS).  M.I.A. stands for Missing in Acton, the place where she stayed in London. As a child, she moved back to Sri Lanka, then to Chennai in India, and back to London. She graduated from London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, with a degree in fine art, film and video.

M.I.A. shot to fame in India after singing for Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire under AR Rahman.  She has two Grammy nominations to her credit – Record of the Year for Paper Planes (album Kala) and Best Rap Song for Swagga Like Us – apart from several other nominations and wins for various awards. Currently a resident of Brooklyn, New York, she is engaged to Benjamin Brewer, vocalist and guitarist of The Exit and a member of the influential Russian-Jewish Bronfman family. They are expecting their first child.

Filmography

M.I.A.

Submit Content


M.I.A. Images & Videos

 Mamma Mia! images
 Mamma Mia! images
 Mamma Mia! images