Maya Arul aka M.I.A (Missing In Acton) releases her debut album Arular in April 2005. This is her second release since she knocked the London club scene for six with the release of Galang in 2003, which was re-released this year by XL Recordings.

The release of Arualr is hotly anticipated after the success of M.I.A’s Sunshower single from late 2004. In addition the album sampler has been receiving radio-love from all over the country – no wonder everyone’s ithching to see what the 26 year old from Sri Lanka via Surrey will come up with next!

Aged just 11, M.I.A. (aka Maya Arul) became a refugee of war. Like many others, her family were forced to flee Sri Lanka when the Sinhala-Tamil conflict began to grip the country in the mid-eighties. Left with no choice but to face up to the daunting reality of restarting their lives in a foreign land, they found themselves a million miles away from paradise isle and on a notorious housing estate in Mitcham, England.

Quickly adapting to her new suroundings, she has gone from those dark days to where she is today: on the verge of stardom. Already established as an artist of some note, her attentions have now turned to music. Like her art, her music is very fiesty and she's unwilling to curb her tongue - it's all about her and she is unlike anybody else around.

Her debut 12 inch, 'Galang', sent shock waves out to all that heard it. It was fresh, twisted and had a killer hook. Her debut album is as good and will be on the shelves this September. Her debut single for XL, 'Sunshowers', is out on the 19th of July.

M.I.A. is one of the UK's hottest new talents and rightly so.