The British-Sri Lankan artist discusses the trajectory of her political beliefs and career in a 53-minute Q&A session
M.I.A. recently sat down with the Oxford Union for a 53-minute interview. During the session, she discusses her identity as a refugee and how her political beliefs have developed over time.
“Being a refugee was something that, when I started singing, I was really proud of,” she said. “Now, being a refugee is forever changing. We’re still a blob in the world that’s kind of faceless. Not a single refugee, or anyone else for that matter, is able to say why are these people here and why this is happening.”
She also delves into the notion of Sri Lanka being “a small case study for generally what happens in the rest of the world” and discusses government transparency. “The fact that the Sri Lankan government did what they did and got away with it just makes it possible for a lot of governments all over the world to do that.”
The artist is set to make her return to the States this year, with shows confirmed for Riot Fest and the Meadows – her first set of performances in the US since 2014.
Watch the full interview in the player above.
