M.I.A. borrows from Bollywood

So in case you haven’t heard, M.I.A.’s new album Kala is one of the hottest of the year. It’s practically indisputable. Just drop the album at a party, and the stomping feet will shake the ground like an earthquake of musical madness! Even if there’s only 4-6 people involved, results are guaranteed. Trust me — I tried it this weekend.

But you can get a positive review of Kala almost anywhere. What I’d really like to talk about is the new video for the distinctively cheesy song “Jimmy.” Apparently it’s a cover of a song from the 1983 Bollywood (a portion of the Indian film industry) movie “Disco Dancer.” One can only imagine that Maya A. has a certain fondness for the music of her youth, the way that Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” reminds me of when I was a wee lad. After all, she was born in London, but she spent her childhood years in Sri Lanka and India, amidst wars and civil unrest. I can see little Maya jumping around her living room in a shiny outfit, trying to imitate the killer moves in “Disco Dancer,” as an escape from the monstrosities occurring outdoors.

What I don’t get is why “Jimmy” is credited to M.I.A. and Switch (the predominant producer on Kala) on AllMusic.com. Must be a typo.

Without further expenditure of mental energy, please enjoy the following from beginning to end.

M.I.A.’s video for “Jimmy,” from her new album Kala:

“Jimmy Adja,” from the 1983 movie “Disco Dancer”:

See M.I.A. open for Bjork at the Fox Theatre in Detroit on September 11.

Links (note – both of these involve blinking colors, so sufferers of epilepsy are not advised to continue):
MySpace
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