Noa & Mira Awad

Noa & Mira Awad





Mira Awad



Background information
Born June 11, 1975
Origin Rameh, Galilee[1], Israel
Occupation(s) Singer, actress and songwriter
Instrument(s) Vocals

Mira Anwar Awad (Arabic: ميرا عوض‎; Hebrew: מירה עווד‎, born June 11, 1975) is an Arab Israeli singer, actress, and songwriter. Like the majority of Israeli Arabs she identifies herself as Palestinian by nationality and Israeli by citizenship.

She lives in Tel Aviv, Israel. She is the first Arab chosen to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest, and was the first, along with Noa, to sing a song (There Must Be Another Way) with Arabic lyrics at the contest.Contents
1 Early life
2 Career
3 Political aspects

Early life

Awad was born in Rameh village in Galilee, Israel to an Arab father from the Galilee (Anwar), a physician by profession, and a Bulgarian mother (Snejanka). She studied at the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in Ramat HaSharon, Israel.

Career

She became an instant star on Israeli television after appearing in the sit-com Arab Labor[8] and Noah's Ark. She also appeared in The Bubble, a film by director Eytan Fox. She sang the theme songs for the films Forgiveness (directed by Udi Aloni), and Lemon Tree (directed by Eran Riklis).

In 2002, she co-operated with international star Noa in the latter's album Now, in a version of the Beatles song "We Can Work It Out." She co-wrote and performed a song with world music artist Idan Raichel, also appeared in album of live performance in Athens, Greece, of Greek legend George Dalaras. In the summer of 2002 she starred as Eliza Doolittle in the Israeli Opera production of My Fair Lady, directed by Micha Levinson, at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.

Awad also tried to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song Zman, in the end landing in 8th place in the national final.

In 2006 she appeared as an IDF soldier in the Cameri production of a musical adaptation of Maya Arad's novel in verse "Another Place, a Foreign City".

Awad is in the final stages of recording her debut album Bahlawan, featuring songs she wrote and composed, in collaboration with Israeli guitarist Amos Ever-Hadani.

In January 2009, it was announced that Awad would represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, along with Achinoam Nini, known outside Israel as Noa. Awad became the first Arab-Israeli singer to represent Israel in the contest. The song won a place in the Eurovision final on May 16, and eventually finished in 16th place with 53 points.

It was not the first time a member of a minority group was chosen to represent Israel at Eurovision. In 1998 Dana International won the competition with her song Diva, becoming the first transsexual to take first place. Soul crooner Eddie Butler — a member of Israel's Black Hebrews — sang for his Israel 2006. ( http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1885423,00.html )

Awad is currently starring in a play about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the Cameri Theater.

Political aspects

While she has received criticism on both sides of the Arab-Israeli divide, she has many fans in both camps. The debate has exposed the uneasy position of Israel's Arabs, those Palestinians and their descendants who remained after 1948.

Before the 2009 national elections in Israel, Awad voiced support for the Israeli Communist party, Hadash.

Palestinian and Arab intellectuals have been circulating a petition calling on Awad not to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest. The petition failed to deter Awad and Noa, who say, as peace advocates, they were surprised a such a petition went around. According to the New York Times, "The antiwar movement, they say, seems to have turned into a Hamas apology force." Awad laughed off the suggestion that she might be used as a fig leaf to cover up the Israeli government's actions. "The government didn't choose to send me to Eurovision. Noa and I agreed because of our eight-year collaboration," she said.

Awad has identified herself as both Palestinian and Israeli



Achinoam Nini



Background information
Birth name Achinoam Nini
Also known as Noa
Born June 23, 1969
Origin Tel Aviv, Israel
Genre(s) Pop, world, Hebrew, jazz, blues
Occupation(s) Singer
Years active 1990–present
Label(s) NMC, Geffen Records, Universal Records
Website Official website ( http://www.noasmusic.com )


Achinoam Nini (Hebrew: אֲחִינוֹעַם נִינִי Aẖinóʻam Nini; born June 23, 1969), also known by her professional name, Noa, is a leading Israeli international concert and recording artist.Contents
1 Career
2 Concert Highlights
3 Awards
4 Discography
5 Soundtracks
6 Duets and Collaborations
7 Engagement for Peace
8 Eurovision 2009

Career

Born in Tel Aviv to a Jewish family of Yemenite descent. Noa lived in New York City from age 2. and attended SAR Academy primary school, and the Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein Upper School of Ramaz High School, and remained in New York until her return to Israel alone at the age of 17. After serving the mandatory two years in the Israeli Army in a military entertainment unit., Noa studied music at the Rimon School, where she met her long-time partner and collaborator Gil Dor.

As a duo, their music styles are pop, rock, blues, R&B, country, country western, folk, Yemenite & Italian folk. Noa has recorded numerous songs in Italian, French, Spanish, Galician, English, Arabic, Hebrew, Thai, Hindi, Yemenite Jewish and folk & Arabic pop songs as well as Jewish and Christian prayers translated into Hebrew and English.

Noa and Gil Dor have had various different ensembles since their early days as an acoustic duet but their most long lived musical relationship has been with the noted percussionist Zohar Fresco. The three have played hundreds of concerts together all over the world. The ensembles vary from album to album ranging from rhythm section through Solis String Quartet and up to symphonic tours. Noa's music is most prominently influenced by the singer-songwriters of the 60s, such as Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, and James Taylor. These musical and lyrical sensibilities, combined with Noa's Yemenite roots and Gil Dor's strong background in jazz, classical, country and rock, have created Noa and Gil Dor's unique sound, manifested in hundreds of songs written and performed together. Noa plays percussion, guitar and piano. She is married to Dr. Asher Barak, they have two children, Ayehli and Enea. The family makes its home in Israel.

She, together with Arab-Israeli singer Mira Awad, represented her country at Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song There Must Be Another Way, qualifying to the final from the first semi final and evetually finishing in 16th place.

Concert Highlights
Noa has performed in Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall in New York City, Olympia in Paris, Rome's Colosseum, The Barbican in London, Zellerbach Auditorium in San Francisco, the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, the Montreux Jazz Festival and Paleo Music festival in Switzerland, Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, the North Sea Jazz Festival and Carre Auditorium in the Netherlands and the Stockholm Water Festival in Sweden, as well as numerous successful tours of major venues and festivals throughout Europe, the USA, Canada, Brazil and Japan.
In 1994 Noa performed the English version of Ave Maria for a live audience of 100,000 and a TV audience of millions at the culmination event of the International Year of the Family at the Vatican, Rome, Italy, witnessed by Pope John Paul II.
Noa and Gil Dor have performed on numerous occasions with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. They recorded an album with them during a live performance at Tel Aviv's prestigious Mann auditorium in 1997. Over the years their symphonic projects have multiplied, including concerts with Symphony Orchestras from Lille, Messina, Parma, Murcia, Firenze Symphony.
In September 2003 Noa performed a vocal work entitled: L'isola della Luce (after the Greek island on which it was performed) written by Nicola Piovani especially for her voice. The work was commissioned by the Cultural Olympics Committee in Athens.
On May 1, 2004, Noa and Gil Dor, together with the noted Israeli rhythm and dance troupe Mayumana, gave a joint performance between the two final games of the Euroleague basketball championship, broadcast to millions of television viewers around the world.

Awards
In 1999 Noa was honored with the "Crystal Award" by the "World Economic Forum" in Davos, Switzerland, where she performed together with Palestinian artists and participated in numerous panels dealing with peace in the Middle East and the role of art and artists towards bringing it about.
In 2000, the mayor of Melpignano awarded honorary citizenship to Noa and Nabil Salameh, Lebanese singer songwriter with Michele Lobaccaro of the group "Radiodervish", for their activity for peace.
On April 3, 2005, Noa became the first woman to receive the medal of the "Galileo Galilei" order from the "Grand Orient", the Italian arm of the Freemasons organization.
On August 7 Noa received the prestigious "Gemona Seminar" prize for artistic excellence and her contribution to peace and understanding.
Noa won the influential "Critics' Award" at the 2006 San Remo Festival in Italy, appearing with the Solis String Quartet [1] (http://www.solis.it/index2.html) and Carlo Fava[2] (http://www.carlofava.it/) .

Discography

Over the span of their 15-year career together, Gil and Noa have written and produced 3 hugely successful Israeli albums: "Achinoam Nini and Gil Dor Live", "Achinoam Nini and Gil Dor" (also known as "Rachel and Leah"), and "Achinoam Nini". Their five international albums are, "Noa" (produced by Pat Metheny) and "Calling" (produced by Rupert Hine) for Geffen records, "Blue Touches Blue" (produced by Mike Hedges) for Mercury records, "Now" (produced by Gil Dor & Yoad Nevo) and "Genes & Jeans" (produced by Gil Dor) for Universal Music. In addition, Noa has recorded a live album with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and a live CD and DVD with The Solis String Quartet. There are also various compilations available.
Achinoam Nini and Gil Dor Live (July 1991)
Achinoam Nini and Gil Dor (September 1993)
Noa (March 1994)
Calling (May 1996)
Achinoam Nini (April 1997)
Achinoam Nini & the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (April 1998)
Blue Touches Blue (March 2000)
First Collection (March 2001)
Now (September 2002)
Noa Gold (October 2003)
Noa Live - DVD/Double CD with the Solis Quartet (October 2005)
Genes & Jeans (April 2008)
There Must Be Another Way (2009)

Soundtracks

In 1998, Noa recorded the part of Esmeralda in French for the original soundtrack of the multi-Platinum selling "Notre Dame de Paris". Her song "Babel", written in English, French and Hebrew as theme song for the Gerarad Pullicino movie of the same name, topped the charts in France the following year.

Noa collaborated with French composer Éric Serra on two songs for film: "The Experience of Love" from the James Bond film Goldeneye, and the song "My Heart is Calling" from the Luc Besson film Joan of Arc.

In 2000, Noa recorded the theme song of "Life Is Beautiful", Roberto Benigni's Oscar award-winning film Noa also wrote the lyrics to the song, together with Gil Dor. The song was recorded and released with the album "Blue Touches Blue", and also appears on the soundtrack to the film as well as on her album "Gold" in two versions.

Duets and Collaborations

Noa has toured and sung with rock superstar Sting, performed her song Child of man with Stevie Wonder for a CBS TV special in the U.S., and shared the stage and microphone with many well-known artists, including Andrea Bocelli, Carlos Santana, Sheryl Crow, George Benson, Johnny Clegg, Zucchero, Peter Maffay, Pino Daniele, Rita Kleinstein Massimo Ranieri, Florent Pagny, Jean Jacques Goldman, Khaled, Amine, Lokua Kanza, Jorge Drexler, Joan Manuel Serrat, Mira Anewr Awad, Meir Banai, Miguel Bose, Donovan, Maurane, Éric Serra, Pascal Obispo, Patrick Bruel, Mike Mainieri,Chava Alberstein, Gil Dor, Nini Band, Solis String Quartet, Al Di Meola, Lara Fabian and Bustan Abraham.

Engagement for Peace
Noa and Gil have collaborated frequently with Arab and Palestinian artists from around the world, including Khaled from Algeria, Nabil Salameh from Lebanon, Handallah from Nablus , Rim Banna from Nazareth, Amal Murkus from Kfar Yasif, and Mira Awad from Kfar Raameh. These collaborations enable the duo to express, musically, their belief in the power of communication and dialogue as a means of promoting peace and understanding.
On November 4, 1995, Noa was on stage performing for an audience of 50,000 at the historic peace rally in Tel-Aviv just minutes before the late Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated.
From 1995 to 1998 she performed many concerts in memory of Yitzhak Rabin.
In May 2002, Noa took part in the first-ever concert at the Rome Colosseum, under the banner of "Time for Life- A Tribute for Peace". The event featured Ray Charles, Mercedes Sosa, Khaled, Nicola Piovani, and various artists from Afghanistan, Sarajevo, Belgrade, Africa and Ireland.
In September 2002, she included a duet in her album "Now" with Israeli-Arab singer Mira Awad, a cover version of the Beatles' song We Can Work It Out in an effort to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
On October 16, 2003, Noa was nominated "good will ambassador" for FAO (the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).
In May 2004 Noa performed in "We Are the Future": a globally telecast fund raising concert for children in conflict areas. The event, which was produced by Quincy Jones and hosted by the mayor of Rome, Walter Veltroni, featured an international line-up of stars and performers such as Oprah Winfrey, Angelina Jolie, Chris Tucker, Naomi Campbell and Serena Williams, Patti Austin, Carlos Santana, Alicia Keys, Andrea Bocelli, Carmen Consoli, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Stomp, Take 6, Angelique Kidjo and others.
On July 2 2005 Noa performed in Bono and Sir Bob Geldof's "Live 8" concert in front of hundreds of thousands of people that filled Rome's Circo Massimo and millions of TV viewers across the world.
In September 2005, she performed at the Ambrosetti Forum which took place in Villa d'Este, Como, Italy, before distinguished participants such as Shimon Peres, Saeb Erekat and Amr Moussa.

Eurovision 2009

Noa represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 along with Arab-Israeli singer Mira Awad. The song (There Must Be Another Way) won a place in the Eurovision final on May 16 and finished in 16th place.