ENTERTAINMENT
British-Sri Lankan rapper Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam better known by her stage name M.I.A. performs
at the House of Blues in Boston, Monday, May 5, 2014. Associated Press/Robert E. Klein, fi le
Caribbean Life, APRIL 16-22, 2021 29
By Nelson A. King
British-born, Sri Lankan rapper,
singer, record producer and activist
M.I.A., who wrote her first song
on Bequia, the largest of the St.
Vincent Grenadine islands, says she
has launched an online fund-raising
campaign to aid volcano-ravaged St.
Vincent and the Grenadines.
M.I.A., by name of Maya Arulpragasam,
born July 18, 1975, has
achieved global fame with politicallycharged
dance music.
According to AceShowbiz, M.I.A.
launched the volcano relief campaign
to raise US$137,000 (£100,000) for
the people of St. Vincent in the Caribbean.
“The ‘Paper Planes’ hitmaker has
stepped in to help those affected,
explaining the area is ‘very special’ to
her,” AceShowbiz said.
“I wrote my first song in Bequia,”
wrote M.I.A. on twitter, and these
places have been my island away from
my island for the past 20 years. The
devastation is unbearable.
“We want to raise £100,000 to
immediately buy essential supplies,
provide emergency travel and to get
people to safety now,” she added.
“The money raised will be distributed
to help the 16,000+ people
who have been evacuated from their
homes and population of 100,000,
who are now at risk of severe respiratory
problems due to the extreme
amount of ash falling,” M.I.A. continued.
“100 percent of all donations will
go to the cause.”
According to Wikipedia, M.I.A.’s
Continued on Page 30
Jamaican singer Tarrus Riley. Ye Hue
Wisdom
By Nelson A. King
Known for his evolutionary sound,
Tarrus Riley is set to kick off the summer
with his new single, “ Like That,”
produced by DJ Frass Records.
According to Brooklyn-based entertainment
publicist Ronnie Tomlinson,
of Destine Media, the single — released
on April 2 and garnered solid streaming
numbers via Apple music and on Apple
US itunes charts — has been receiving
airplay on various mainstream stations
Continued on Page 29
By Nelson A. King
Fusing Gritty Blues Rock with Afro-
Caribbean and New Orleans Spirit, Paris
based power roots trio Delgres drops
“4:00 AM.”
“It’s a brand of Creole blues built on
strands of African and French Caribbean
culture, Mississippi blues storytelling
and New Orleans grooves,” New
York entertainment publicist Cindy
Byram told Caribbean Life on Monday.
“The lyrics, sung mostly in Creole,
address issues such as poverty, slavery
and the struggles of the immigrant
searching for a better life,” she said. “It’s
a powerful combination that conjures
the spirit of the blues to speak up, but
also celebrate and heal.”
Singer, songwriter and guitarist Pascal
Danae, founder and leader of Del-
Continued on Page 30
FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT, GO TO CARIBBEANLIFENEWS.COM/ENTERTAINMENT
‘LIKE THAT’
It’s ‘4:00 AM’
M.I.A. FUND
RAISER
British rapper launches campaign
/ENTERTAINMENT
