MATANGI/MAYA/M.I.A. – Review by MaryAnn Johanson

Even if you’re not a fan of hip-hop, you’ve likely heard some of British–Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A.’s music. Her “O Saya” was featured in Slumdog Millionaire, which earned her an Oscar nomination. Her 2007 song “Paper Planes,” deemed by many critics one of the best songs of the 2000’s, was one of the biggest hits of that decade, and has transcended the genre to become an anthem for the dispossessed younger generations; its lyrics have recently gone meme-ified.

But you don’t need to be a fan of hip-hop, as I’m not, to be blown away by Matangi/Maya/M.I.A., the tremendous documentary about Maya Arulpragasam, her work, and the controversies that swirl around her. A challenge to celebrity culture and a musician who can’t not be political about her music, she is a rare breath of fresh anger and passion and don’t-give-a-fuck what she’s “supposed” to be or do as an artist and as a woman. She’s always been like this, as we see in abundant footage shot by the artist herself across her complicated life (she originally thought to be a documentary filmmaker). Her diary-like observations paint a compelling portrait of the several cultural crossroads she exists at: between poverty and wealth, East and West, war and (relative) peace… between music as entertainment and music as rage against an ugly status quo. Continue reading…