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M.I.A. is hailed as one of the most freshly creative artists to hit the scene. With Kala, she pulls even more globe-trekking into her musical mix. Recorded in India, Trinidad, Australia, London, New York and Baltimore, M.I.A. has crafted an international sound that is as excitingly undefinable as it is infectious.Reviews:
''Kala'' is the second studio album by British musician M.I.A., released in August 2007. The album features musical styles ranging from dance music to alternative hip hop and makes extensive use of South Asian music such as that of the urumee, a drum used in gaana music native to Tamil Nadu, India. It was mainly written and produced by M.I.A. and Switch, and features contributions from Timbaland, Diplo, Afrikan Boy and The Wilcannia Mob.
M.I.A. named the album after her mother, in contrast to her first album ''Arular'', which was named after her father, and stated that her mother's struggles in life are a major theme of the recording. She began recording the album in early 2006 and worked on the tracks in various locations around the world, including India, Jamaica, Australia, Liberia and Trinidad. Planned sessions in the United States failed to occur, after M.I.A. was refused a long-term work visa to enter the country.
''Kala'' was ranked as one of the best albums of the year by several publications. It reached number 18 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, 172 places higher than ''Arular'', and topped the magazine's Top Electronic Albums chart. In the United Kingdom it reached number 39 on the UK Albums Chart, 59 places higher than her debut album. ''Kala'' has spawned the singles "Boyz", "Jimmy" and "Paper Planes". - Wikipedia
The hipster baile revolution is in full swing. Cansei de Ser Sexy and Bonde do Role helped to elevate the niche subgenre into a future shock force last year, but the door wouldn't be open if it weren't for M.I.A. The hip-hop/reggae/baile/funk-fusing bamboo banger thoroughly superseded debut Arular with this sophomore globetrotter. Our favorite cut: "Paper Planes," with the chorus, "All I wanna do is [gunshots] and [cash register ch-ching] and take your money!"