C. Vanessa Olivier

An Exploration of Postcolonial Music

I am a musician; therefore, a recurring, incessant question fills my mind during any new encounter with a subject, especially one dealing with ethnicity and culture.  As a result, in this assignment, I naturally sought to learn more about the music of India in general, with the hopes that I would discover a topic relating to our class studies in the process.   As if by fate, in discussing this assignment with my eclectic, world-traveling friend, she mentioned her recent interest in an artist named M.I.A. who was part of a fairly new Indian music genre – Indian Hip-Hop.  Upon my initial research of M.I.A., otherwise known as Maya Arulpragasam (or Arul), I learned that her father is a key figure of the Tamil rebellion, a Sri Lankan separatist group and that this background has greatly influenced her music, lending strong political undertones.  Due to these preliminary findings, I chose to seek information on colonial influence and rebellion against this influence apparent in India’s modern music scene with a focus on the artist, M.I.A.

I began my research by exploring the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict.  I discovered that shortly after the British left India in 1948, political and social conflict between the Tamils (Hindus) and the Sinhalese (Buddhists) emerged, culminating in a full-blown civil war in 1990 that to a certain extent still exists today (Internet: Human Rights Watch).  Arul’s formative years were unstable to say the least, having “spent her childhood hiding up gum trees in war zones before being shunted off, refugee-style, to the mean streets of Mitcham, South London” (Payne 2007).  As an adult, Arul faced further obstacles due to her father’s political association, including denial for a visa to the U.S., forcing her to record her second album in India and Africa.

 I then chose to narrow my focus by evaluating the lyrics in M.I.A.’s songs.   Immediately, I was struck with the cross-cultural nature of her music and videos. In one video she appears as what I took to be the multi-armed Hindu goddess, Durga.  In fact, “Arul's sounds have always been a combination of her Eastern roots and upbringing” (Moayeri:2007).  For example in Sunshowers, the artist states “From Congo to Columbo/Can’t stereotype my thing yo’” and in Paper Planes she sings, “Hit me on my banner, pre-paid wireless/We pack and deliver like UPS trucks…/Third world democracy/Got more records than the KGB” (Internet: M.I.A. lyrics).  Furthermore, many of the songs make references to riding trains: a clear indicator of the continuous colonial influence in India and Sri Lanka. In an interview, the singer herself emphasizes the impact colonial rule continues to have on her everyday life:

I made [Arular] in my bedroom in London under the umbrella of Britain: We're going to go back to caveman thinking and split everything into good and evil,” she says. “It scared the hell out of me. Talking out of my bedroom was a reaction, telling people I didn't feel like I fit in anymore (Moayeri 2007). 

This comment reminded me of the inner struggle for identity apparent in many colonized peoples, a persistent theme in Derek Walcott’s works as well.  Arul confirms, “I was desperate to grow into a well-balanced, well-rounded human being. [Kala] has all that in it: how to grow up and deal with who you are” (Moayeri 2007).

More often than not Arul’s songs reflect the political and social upheaval of her country and many other colonized countries.  For example, in Bamboo Banga, Somalia, Angola, Ghana, India, Sri Lanka, and Burma are all mentioned.  In Jimmy Gone M.I.A., the singer proclaims, “When you go Rwanda, Congo/Take me on your genocide tour/Take me on your truck to Darfur” (Internet: M.I.A.).  Paper Planes also reflects the realities of third-world countries (so to speak), “If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name/If you come around here I make ‘em all day/I get one down in a second if you wait” (Internet: M.I.A. lyrics).  Arul reflects on economic injustices in Sunshowers, explaining, “He got Colgate on his teeth/And Reebok classics on his feet/At a factory he does Nike/And then helps the family” (Internet: M.I.A. lyrics).  Finally, many of her songs reflect devastating global issues:  “When the money turns the world, your lovin’ turns to less” and “Pull up the people, pull up the poor” (Internet M.I.A. lyrics).  In the artist’s words, “you have to stand for something and believe in something” (Internet: newnownext).

I feel I have learned so much regarding the persistence of colonial influence in the postcolonial world.  I was amazed to find so much information on this topic that supports our studies and class discussions.  Specifically, I felt some of the class objectives were enforced during my research.  Objective 1d discusses the possibility of a “contemporary third wave” following colonialism and post-colonialism.  I believe the children of the colonized world will help define this group through a variety of art forms and non-art forms.  It will be exciting to watch this cultural development.  Number five of the secondary objectives addresses “global cultures” and their relationships to space.  Reading about Arul and her lack of a defined homeland reinforced this idea that new generations, due to oftentimes uncontrollable circumstances, will redefine traditional notions of what space and home mean.  Lastly, I felt my findings reinforced the association of postmodernism (namely postmodern music) and postcolonialism, namely the singer’s referral to various elements of postcolonial rule through the utilization of a postmodern music style.  I will definitely continue my investigation into this topic for two reasons: out of curiosity and love of the music.

Works Cited:

Human Rights Watch:  Sri Lanka.  http://www.hrw.org/reports/1990/WR90/ASIA.BOU-11.htm#P718_161127

http://www.newnownext.com/2007/07/exclusive-mia-i.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_conflict_in_Sri_Lanka

Indian Electronica.  http://www.indianelectronica.com/content/view/218/138/

M.I.A. lyrics.    http://ww.mtv.wcom/music/artist/mia__4_/lyrics.jhtml

Moayeri, Lily.  “Out on a Whim.”  Remix.  September 2007.  http://remixmag.com/artists/electronic/mia_switch_diplo_kala/

Payne, Anne-Marie.  “M.I.A.”  Venuszine.  Issue #33.  September 2007. 

http://www.venuszine.com/articles/music/features/1711/MIA