Posted on 09/30/2024 2:43:37 PM PDT by nickcarraway
SFGATE senior culture editor Dan Gentile watched M.I.A.'s politically provocative set at Portola Music Festival
Despite being barely a month out from the election, not many musicians at Portola Music Festival had much to say about politics. But there was one exception: M.I.A.
Since her debut mixtape “Piracy Funds Terrorism” in 2004, M.I.A. has always been a political provocateur. As a child, she was displaced by the Sri Lankan Civil War, and her art has always been steeped in revolutionary rhetoric, refugee undertones and nothing-to-lose swagger. Her combative attitude, paired with frenetic club beats from the likes of Diplo and Switch, resulted in immediate critical acclaim. The single “Paper Planes,” complete with a Clash sample and gunshot sound effects, propelled her into stardom. And with that rise came erratic behavior and questionable opinions on everything from vaccines to Alex Jones. At Portola, which she was scheduled to play in 2022 before a last-minute cancellation, she leaned into her latest political controversy: an endorsement of Donald Trump for president.
Dressed in a baggy silver jumpsuit, M.I.A. opened with “Trouble Again” from the 2013 album “Matangi.” She was much more animated than you might expect from an artist who is known for their resting scowl-face. She commanded the stage as a group of frenetic backup dancers paced around her with fierce authority. Despite her chaotic behavior, she’s still a vivid performer, and the worldly rhythms of her bombastic beats translate well in a festival setting, especially when contrasted with so many DJs with their heads down in their CDJs. But almost from the jump, it was clear that the audience would be in for some perplexing banter.
Revealing an orange wig during “Bad Girls,” she started to call out other R&B artists, and inexplicably, Vice President Kamala Harris.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I liked that song Paper Planes when it came out
The article said she’s now a born-again Christian.
That’s amazing. I’d be interested to hear that story.
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