Mathangi and Kala

 Mathangi Arulpragasam (M.I.A.) with her mother Kala Pragasam

11x14 inches, pencil, spray paint, watercolor on paper, 2020

 

 

In 2019 M.I.A. received an MBE for her services to music. Prince William was the one who handed it to her during a ceremony which her mother was one of the guests of honor. Her mother had stitched the actual award medal to the ribbon M.I.A. was given. As a refugee she had found work sowing for the royal family and had created similar award ribbons for 33 years. In the photo she took with her mom at the ceremony M.I.A. proudly poses with her mom now wearing the MBE award the had stitched herself. The M.I.A. song in the Top 100 2019 is again Born Free as she performed it live at Letterman's Late Show in 2010. A memorable performance featuring Marin Rev, who in 1977 created the beat heard sampled behind the studio version of Born Free (Maya, 2010) together with Alan Vega. The song is at a solid #2 in my list of counting awarded points kept updated since 1983.