Noa's concert in East Lansing (USA)

t’s amazing how lightly some people carry heavy things. When Israeli singer-songwriter Noa dances barefoot on stage, fl congas to trade whacks with the band, it seems as if she hasn’t

But she’s all care.

During a phone interview last week, Noa paced her seaside Tel month-old daughter, Yum, which means “sea” in Hebrew.

She called parenthood “a beautiful separation from self.”

“You’re one small part of a long and beautiful chain,” she said. “Y patience, your energy to another human being.”

Far from wearing her out, she said, it’s made her want to work h “It’s made me much more committed to — it’s horribly clich' — b

At 39, Noa, or Achinoam Nini, is not wellknown in the United Sta much of the Middle East for 20 years, and the go-to gal when so having a jubilee or putting on a save-the-world concert.

She has performed with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Andrea with special significance, message of peace Palestinian-Israeli

It sometimes seems as if Israelis and Palestinians will never find promoting the idea. They intensified a decade-long, on-and-off collaboration when their signature song, “T

millions of listeners as Israel’s entry in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest.

Noa doesn’t have illusions about art’s ability to promote peace. Art, she said, is only part of a system — “p shape.

But music can prepare the ground, she said.

“Your mind and your heart are wide open, and it’s much easier for you to reach out to whoever is out ther

When it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian tensions, Noa’s music and humanitarian work looks for common organization of parents who have lost children to the conflict, is among Noa’s most cherished humanitaria

“These are parents who, rather than cultivating hatred and vengeance, cultivate friendship and coexistenc

The lyrics to “There Must Be Another Way” put it this way: “When I cry, I cry for both of us. My pain has no

“We can mourn together,” Noa said. “If we can do that, we can also overcome our deepest fears and barr

But Noa’s upbeat concerts with Awad aren’t manifestoes. The words “Israel,” “Palestine,” “Arab” and “Jew “Our messages are universal,” she said. “I don’t write political songs. I believe in stripping things down to

Among her guiding lights in this respect are singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell and acerbic genius Leon

“I never really liked the music of my generation, to tell you the truth,” she said. “I always liked the music of

Noa was born in Israel, but when she was 4, her father got a job as a professor and took the family to Bro grandparents came from Yemen.

For Noa, it was like growing up in two worlds.

“Outside it was the Bronx, but inside it was like Yemen or Israel, with pillows on the floor and my mother c Hebrew and Yemeni,” she said.

Traditional musical forms of Israel and Yemen often work their way into Noa’s multi-lingual, folk-pop soun

At 11, her life took a decisive turn when her uncle took her to see Cohen at Carnegie Hall.

“There were clouds of marijuana everywhere,” she said. “I saw this amazing man, all by himself on guitar,

Noa is always singing for world peace at a heavy venue like the White House, the Vatican or the Colosse intimacy of a folk singer.

“I’m blessed with a total lack of stage fright,” she said. “I feel very natural, and just close my eyes and sing Noa with Mira Awad 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 5 Wharton Center Cobb Great Hall $35 (800) WHARTON wwwwhartoncenter

Jewish Israeli singer Noa shares the stage with Arab Israeli vocalist Mira Awad

Scott Pohl, WKAR (2010-05-05)

Singers Mira Awad and Noa

EAST LANSING, MI (WKAR) -

One of Israel's most popular female singers will appear at the Wharton Center tonight.

She's an Israeli Jew who goes by the single name of Noa. On her current tour, she's sharing the stage with Arab-Israeli singer Mira Awad.

WKAR's Scott Pohl spoke with both Noa and Mira Awad about their musical and political collaboration.

AUDIO: Noa was born in Tel Aviv, but she grew up in New York City. Along with her Israeli and American roots, she also was influenced by her Yemenite parents. Her music appeared in the James Bond film "Goldeneye", and she wrote the lyrics for the theme to the Oscar-winning "Life is Beautiful".

Noa says her connection with Mira Awad can be attributed to having had similar musical influences, despite their cultural differences.

"Both of us are very deeply inspired by the singer-songwriters of the 60s," Noa explains, "like Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, and Paul Simon. Mira, when she plays and sings, I always think that she sounds like an Arabic Joan Baez. It's very, very beautiful, what she does. And then, we have our duets together. We sing together in three languages: English, Hebrew, and Arabic, and that's the show. That's what people are in for."

FIRST DUET ALMOST TEN YEARS AGO

In 2001, already a star in Israel, Noa wanted a partner for a duet on the Beatles song "We Can Work It Out". That's when she first reached out to Mira Awad. Flattered by the opportunity to sing with Noa, Awad accepted, and she says there was an instant connection.

"We really enjoy the company of each other on stage," Awad says. "Our voices complement each other the way that I never encountered before. And, of course, we connect on the philosophical and spiritual and idealistic level, which is even more important when you want to keep a friendship going on, because something's deeper there."

Awad says Israeli Palestinians are exposed to a lot of music rooted in the nation's Jewish society, but the reverse doesn't happen as much. She hopes that her work with Noa will change that.

"We have little means of broadcasting our own stuff," explains Awad. "I mean, we have one radio that is nationwide, only one radio, and there are slots on the TV that allow some programs and some stuff in Arabic, but it's very limited. So, yes, even if they wanted to, they have to really, really look for it in order to be exposed to our culture."

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST WAS PIVOTAL

Their biggest project to date was jointly representing Israel in the hugely popular Eurovision song contest, televised to millions of viewers around the world. The song "There Must Be Another Way" has a lyric that Noa finds particularly poignant.

"When I cry, I cry for both of us," Noa quotes from the song. "My pain has no name. When I cry, I cry to the merciless sky and say there must be another way. And this is what we believe, both of us. We believe that only if we share each other's pain, if we feel true empathy towards each other and reach out, can we find a solution to our problems."

Tonight's Noa concert with Mira Awad will begin at 7:30 at the Wharton Center's Great Hall.

Noa's concert in Skokie (USA)

Noa In Concert with Special Guest Mira Awad will appear on Monday, May 3 at the North Shore Center for Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. The program is presented by Hadassah Chicago Chapter.

Backed by musician Gil Dor, the concert will feature Noa in collaboration with Israeli Arab singer, actress and songwriter, Mira Awad. The two women work together, singing and playing, in an effort to promote peace. Noa believes this collaboration enables her to express musically her belief in the power of communication and dialogue as a means of promoting peace and understanding.

In November, 2009, Awad and Noa were awarded the Haviva Reik Peace Price from Givat Haviva to honor their commitment to peace and dialogue between Israelis and Arabs. The Givat Haviva Institute educates and acts to promote the values of equality and human dignity as well as to develop the experience of equality between Jews and Arabs in the Middle East.

Noa, who sings and plays percussion, guitar and piano, claims her strongest musical influences come from the singers and songwriters of the 1960s, such men and women as Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. The music of that time, combined with Noaís Yemenite roots, and the jazz, classical and rock background of her collaborator and musical partner, Gil Dor, have created a unique sound. The pair have written and performed hundred of songs which are popular not only in Israel but demanded by the international public.

Together, they wrote, performed and produced four major Israeli albums of music and four more international albums. Noa has performed in one album with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra.

Noa was born in Tel Aviv in 19969, but grew up in New York City from age two until her return to Israel at the age of 17. She served her mandatory two years in the Israeli army (in a military entertainment unit), and then studied music at the Rimon School where she met Gil Dor.

She has performed all over the world including appearances in London, Barcelona, Stockholm and Rome. In the United States, she has appeared in San Francisco, Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall in New York City, and at both Ravinia and Northwestern in the Chicago area.

Mira Awad, who sings and plays guitar, has performed on Israeli television and in films. On stage, she was Liza Doolittle in the Israeli production of "My Fair Lady." She was the first Arab to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest, singing the first Israeli Eurovision song with Arab lyrics.

Born in Rameh, in Galilee, she now lives in Tel Aviv.

Noa has been a featured performer at world-wide music festivals in Switzerland, Morocco, Brazil, Japan and Canada. She sang her version of "Ave Maria" for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican and sang for President and Mrs. Clinton at the White House.

Known in Israel by her given name of Achinoam Nini, Noa is now married to Dr.Asher Barak and the mother of two children.

Ticket prices for the concert are $45 and $55. Sponsorships are available.

Tickets are on sale at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. Visit them at 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie or call the box office at 847-673-6300. Ticket buyers can also go the web site at www.northshorecenter.org

For information call the Hadassah Chicago Chapter office at 847-675-6790 or check out the web site at www.chicago.hadassah.org.

Noa's concert in Blue Bell (Philladelphia- USA)

Two for the Pride of One

Noa and Mira lend their voices to a note of Mideast peace and harmony

April 22, 2010 - Michael Elkin, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Give peace a chance? How about giving it a musical backbeat?

Chances are that Noa and Mira Awad are aware of and in sync with the possibilities.

The two -- vocalist Noa, known to millions of Israelis as Achinoam Nini; and Arab-Israeli singer Awad -- awake each day to the steely soundtracks of combative and combustible backgrounds that is the political conflict in their homeland.

Surely, both attest to and harmonize with each other, there must be another way.

They have gone on the record with that very notion: "There Must Be Another Way" was their Israeli entry as a vocal duo performing in last year's Eurovision Song Contest, with Awad awarded the post as first Arab representing the land of milk and honey.

Sweet was their venture; bittersweet the outcome as the two finished a not-so-sweet 16th in the contest.

But after nearly 10 years as a twosome -- and decades as artists on their own -- only one number really means anything to them: Their No. 1 priority of a vision of peace through vocals.

They will lend their voice to that cause at Tiferet Bet Israel in Blue Bell, performing at a benefit concert there on Sunday, May 2 www.tbibluebell.org.

Both have benefited career-wise from their dueling-banjoes banter and bonhomie, even while taking hits and hollers -- not exactly shout-outs -- from detractors who wonder why they don't pay more attention to "West Side Story" for their West Bank story and follow the lyrics to "Stick to Your Own Kind."

That's not the kind of life they've been pursuing, both note.

And Noa, like her colleague, wants a piece of the peace that will one day come, she contends.

Upbeat -- or just marching to a different beat?

"Music can make a difference," she notes, "and it always has, throughout history. But," she emphasizes, "it cannot work magic, and it cannot work alone. Only if all sections of society -- the political, financial, diplomatic and artistic -- work together, can we hope to see any sort of change occur."

To everything, change -- and it was quite a change in Mideast music tableaux to have witnessed these two forge one picture of one voice, one vision at last year's Eurovision competition.

We are the world -- but did fragmented Europe see it that way?

"I think," replies Noa, whose worldwide fame has spread to Philadelphia, notably with her star-spangled performance at Israel's 50th birthday gala celebrated at the Wachovia Center, "we did not place higher in Eurovision because our song was not a classic Eurovision song -- meaning, it was not a lighthearted, catchy, entertaining pop song."

No snap, crackle, pop of a bubble-gum gimmick? "We never had that intention," she says. "We were out to make waves, to say something, and to do it 'our way.' "

Awad weighs in: "I think the Eurovision brought us closer together; the intensity of the preparations for the contest, plus the trouble we faced before it made us realize more than ever that we are strong in our beliefs and committed to our message. And also, the time we spent together made us get to know each other more than ever. As for the result in the contest, the criteria for this kind of pop contest is a mystery to me."

Mideast mysteries are common ground for Israelis and Arabs. But walking in each other's sandals, does the sand feel differently? Are their friends surprised by the deepening friendship between the two? And are American Jews more surprised than their Middle Eastern friends?

No way, says Noa: "I don't hang out with the kinds of people who would be surprised by this kind of friendship. As for the American Jews ... well, I guess we'll find out on tour, won't we?"

Without question, Awad agrees: "People who would be surprised that I'm friends with Noa wouldn't be my friends to begin with."

And yet ... Mira recently canceled an appearance with Noa at London's Israel Independence Day celebration, citing reports of threats of violence and intimidation against her. Noa went on alone.

'Close Friends, Different Circumstances'

Peace and harmony, but hardly the same: Sabra Noa is of Yemenite heritage; Awad, born in the Galilee region, has an Arab Christian for a father and a Christian mom, with roots in Bulgaria.

Far apart but oh-so-close, more dunes than don'ts: "We remain very close friends, though the different circumstances of our life -- I have three children [including a 2-month-old] and live about 30 minutes from Tel Aviv; Mira is single and lives in the center of Tel Aviv -- make social meetings more difficult," says Noa, at age 40, six years younger than her cohort.

Co-existence is easy in their case, although: "We meet while rehearsing, recording and touring, and love being together."

Together and apart, the two have won countless awards and honors, and count big-name rock stars among their fave fans. Indeed, Noa -- who lived in the United States from age 2 to 17 -- has opened for such acts as Sheryl Crow, Carlos Santana and George Benson.

Rock of ages while rocking the vote; play it again ... politically: "Every citizen must take personal responsibility, utilizing whatever tools she or he have at their disposal, even if it is 'only' a vote, to reach a common goal: world peace," claims Noa.

Another country heard from ... well, actually the same. "Does song really have a role to play in" promoting world peace? chimes in Awad. "A song cannot bring peace to the Middle East, and we cannot single-handedly solve the dispute in the region, but I think it opens a window to the possibility of dialogue, and that's important enough."

After all, there are enough smashed windows and broken promises to appease naysayers on both sides. Do they dial up the anger in their own dialogue when bad things happen to good people? When Arab-Israeli tensions arise in the news, what kind of conversations do the two vocalists have with each other?

Says Noa: "We are both deeply depressed by the situation, and committed to presenting the alternative."

"I think we find a bit of comfort in each other, especially in crazy days [when] we remind ourselves that there are some sane people out there who want to reach out to the other side, and find solutions in order to stop the killing," contends Awad.

Is it not ironic then, that an early collaboration between the two, in 2002, was "We Can Work It Out"?

But will it be alone again ... naturally?

"We have already known each other and worked together for almost 10 years," says Noa of their long-term status. "I imagine we will continue to collaborate occasionally whenever the opportunity presents itself, while at the same time, each developing her own direction."

Directions point stateside as the two are scheduled for a series of concerts, including the big event at Tiferet Bet Israel. Want to bet they don't have big visions for their travels?

Hop aboard the peace train: "I once put together a personal peace plan, called 'Peace by Piece,' " reveals Noa of a project that projects a better world for both peoples, given that "each side must recognize the rights of the other to life, freedom, independence, identity, the right to flourish, the right to a peaceful existence."

One is not the loneliest number after all, says her opposite/simpatico number: Mideast leaders "can learn to put the value of life as No. 1 in their list of priorities, like we do. I think that kind of thinking can change the Middle East politics altogether."

Well said.

And well sung.

Singing for peace

April 27, 2010|By Emily Tartanella INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Noa: It's very collaborative. There Must Be Another Way has some of Mira's solo songs, some of my solo songs. But it also has all of our collaborations. Writing them was a really intense and interesting and creative process, because it was written, in every sense of the word, under fire. We were in my home studio, and it was like a bunker.

Q: What language do you normally sing in when you perform together?

Noa: Together we sing in Hebrew and Arabic and English. And that's what you'll hear onstage in Philadelphia.

Q: In Philadelphia, you'll play at a synagogue. Was that a deliberate choice of venue?

Noa: Well, our core audience is the Israeli audience. But we're hoping that the audience will be as mixed as possible. Throughout Europe, we've played in endless churches, and I don't really see a difference between a church and a synagogue. There's something nice about being in a spiritual space, even though both of us are not religious in any way. We're practicing the religion of love, music, compassion. That's my religion, at least, and I think Mira's too.

Q: The two of you aren't religious?

Mira: Not at all.

Q: How successful do you feel you've been in getting your message out?

Noa: I think that we've been successful. Of course there could always be more. As Mira often says, our country has been at war basically for the past 60 years. We've never really known peace. You might think that I'm batty, but my dream is to perform with Mira in the signing of the peace agreement that we're all waiting for. Who knows - if we're not both in wheelchairs by then.

Q: What is the typical response you get, not just in Israel but worldwide, to your performances?

Mira: From what I've seen, it's always been a great reaction. Even people who are very skeptical before the show, suddenly afterward there's this feeling of hope. Even the skeptics get that kind of a boost of energy. I'm always amazed at the people who demonstrate outside the concert hall. If only they could come in and listen! We're just trying to find this path to each other, in order to have a glimpse of the future, or any future. Because nowadays we're kind of heading toward -

Noa: Doomsday?

Mira: Doomsday. That's right. So we're doing whatever we can. We're two artists, we're not politicians, we're not prime ministers. We're doing what is in our power, and our power is music. Our power is being onstage, and taking our points of view, our ideas and our ideology to people from around the world. That's what we're doing, and that's all we can do.

Contact staff writer Emily Tartanella at etartanella@phillynews.com.

Music

Noa & Mira

6:30 p.m. Sunday at Tiferet Bet Israel, 1920 W. Skippack Pike, Blue Bell. Tickets: $54 reserved; $36 general; $18 children, students, seniors. Information: tbibluebell.org, 610-275-8797.

Israeli-Palestinian duo takes stage to promote coexistence through song

By Thomas Celona

Arab-Israeli folk artist Mira Awad (L) will join with Jewish-Israeli singing sensation Noa (R) in a unique musical collaboration at Tiferet Bet Israel on Sunday, May 2. Noa & Mira Awad at Tiferet Bet Israel, 1920 Skippack Pike, Blue Bell Sunday, May 2, 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $40, adults; $20, students, seniors & children under 13. Info: 610-275-8797 or www.tbibluebell.org

Sometimes music is more than just music.

Sometimes lyrics are more a cry for peace than they are words set to a rhythm. Sometimes a duet is more a step in a global movement than it is two artists working together.

Such is the case with the song ìThere Must Be Another Way,î as the two musicians sing these words in unison: ìAnd when I cry, I cry for both of us / My pain has no name / And when I cry, I cry / To the merciless sky and say / There must be another way.î

The two artists are Noa, a Jewish-Israeli, and Mira Awad, an Arab-Israeli.

When these two sing together, music becomes more than just music.

The two internationally known singer-songwriters will take their Middle Eastern folk rhythms and their movement for peace in the Middle East to Blue Bell, as they perform a concert at Tiferet Bet Israel May 2 at 6:30 p.m.

While not a household name in America, Noa is just about everywhere else in the world she goes. Over the past 15 years, she has released a number of albums and become Israelís leading international concert and recording artist.

Born in Israel, Noa lived in Brooklyn from age 2 to 17 before returning to Israel. Add to that her grandparentsí Yemeni background, and Noaís music is an international mix of sound.

ìYemeni, Hebrew and English are the three cultures and languages that are prominent in my life, and I mix the three into my songs,î Noa said in a recent phone interview from her home in Israel.

While her background is vastly different, Noaís sound is not too far from traditional American folk music.

ìIím a singer-songwriter,î she said. ìI was very inspired by Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell, and that can definitely be heard in my songs. I write poetry, really, and I put it to music.î

Noa described Miraís sound in similar terms, saying they both claim Mitchell as a major influence.

The two have been working together musically for nine years now.

ìI was looking to work with a Palestinian-Israeli artist,î Noa said. ìI found Mira just by chance. She was doing a TV interview promoting a musical she was performing in. I was very, very impressed by her. I was impressed by her personality. I called her, and we had great chemistry right from the beginning.î

The two began performing at festivals in Europe and recorded a number of songs together over the next eight years.

ìIt was exciting and fun,î Noa said. ìThen there came Eurovision.î

It was then that the two ó and the entire world ó discovered combining their voices together translates into something more than just music.

Since 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest has searched for the best song each year from among submissions by member countries of the European Broadcasting Union. Each country selects an artist and song to represent the nation, and viewers select their favorite. Over the decades, it has become a huge international event, bringing in audiences of well over 100 million each year.

ìI was actually offered by the Israeli committee to represent Israel,î Noa said, noting she received the offer multiple times early in her career. However, she turned it down each time, based on Eurovisionís reputation as a pop music competition. ìI donít consider myself a pop artist.î

Noa didnít want Eurovision to define who she was as an artist. But once she had clearly established her distinct sound throughout the world, she saw the competition as an opportunity to make a defining statement.

ìI had an interest in using the stage and to promote a message of coexistence,î Noa said. ìI suggested to Mira to represent Israel.î

The two decided to be Israelís representatives in the 2009 competition, bringing a message of cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians to a global audience. Then violence erupted once again.

Israeli forces invaded the Gaza strip in January 2009 in what many in the Arab world have termed the Gaza Massacre. With tensions on both sides heightened, the thought of Noa and Mira representing Israel met opposition.

ìIt was a very big, very controversial situation,î Noa said. ìFrom both sides of the fence, there was enormous opposition for us going to represent Israel. We decided to plow on despite all this commotion.î

At the competition in May 2009, the two sang ìThere Must Be Another Wayî and placed 12th.

ìThereís no wrong time to sing for peace, and maybe the most important time is during a war ó not that the war hasnít been going on for 60 years,î Noa said. ìWe feel we have the duty and responsibility to raise the flag of coexistence. That was the message of our song. Itís impossible to think that the only possibility is more and more bloodshed.î

And Noa and Miraís performance at Eurovision did indeed spread their message around the world.

ìWe got a lot of attention,î Noa said. ìWe got a lot of letters from Arab viewers and listeners. People said they were moved to tears by what weíd done. We were very excited, felt very accomplished.î

Since then, the two recorded an album together and have toured, but their concert in Blue Bell will be their first one together in the United States.

ìItís very exciting for me to introduce Mira to the American audience I have,î Noa said. ìI think the audience will not only be able to enjoy the music we write and perform together but to feel they are part of a movement. We consider ourselves part of a movement of people that think there must be another way.î

Blending the sounds of the guitar, flute, piano and percussion, Noa and Mira will bring their unique sound to the concert ó one attendees will be sure to enjoy even if many of the songs arenít in English.

ìI think in our case you donít have to know the music in order to enjoy it,î Noa said. ìWe try to give people a musical, intellectual, sometimes emotional experience that we feel is very special.î

Because this concert will be one of those times when music is more than just music.

Noa's concert in New Jersey (USA)

Noa's concert in Seattle (USA)

Noa, the Woman From Hope

The Israeli pop star talks about the reality of relations with Palestinians.

By Chris Kornelis Wednesday, Apr 28 2010 When Noa, one of Israel's biggest pop stars, brings her Palestinian friend, Mira Awad, to the

Paramount Theater on Thursday, the pair will sing in English, Hebrew, and Arabic—but they won't bring any of the religious fervor that has divided their homelands.

"Religion is fanning the flames of this whole thing," says Noa. "Can you name one horrible conflict in the world that is not religious-based?"

Instead, Noa (known in Israel as Achinoam Nini) hopes the tour will help contribute to Americans' awareness of the situation and to why it's important for them to tune in. "There are many conflicts going on in the world which, in the kind of world we're living in today, are all connected and interlocked, and everything affects everybody. This conflict should be significant for Americans." (More of our conversation can be found on Reverb, our music

blog.)

SW: What don't Americans get about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict?

Noa: Most newspapers will not ever report on the organizations working for peace in Israel and Palestine. There are so many groups that are doing incredible work for bringing people together, for promoting tolerance and dialogue, and trying to disintegrate the fear that is so strong-rooted in some of these peoples' hearts. What you do know is every rock thrown and every drop of blood shed. There's sort of like a spiral of hopelessness that comes as a result of that, and it's a shame, because it's not the way it is really here.

You were born in Tel Aviv but raised in New York City, and then returned to Israel when you were 17. Why did you return?

I fell in love with a man, whom I'm actually married to now. I met him at a summer vacation in Israel. I was just 15 at the time. A few years later, I decided to return to Israel.

Did you know that you were going to have to serve in the military when you went back?

I was in a state of denial for a year. I had a good job. I was singing in the military entertainment unit. I would have preferred to do other things with those two years between 18 and 20. It would be great if it weren't like that. I don't want to send my kids to the Army, but if there's no choice and I am living in this country, then I'll do it. It's like paying taxes. It's part of being a citizen here.

How was your outlook different when you came out of the Army?

Well, I decided to do everything I can to work for peace.

Do many international artists tour in Israel?

The bigger ones. Nick Cave is hugely popular in Israel. People love him in Israel. He's great, but I think he's more popular in Israel, proportionally, than any other place in the world.

STG Presents Israeli international pop star Noa at The Moore Theatre on Thursday, April 29, 2010. Opening for Noa is Mira Awad, a Palestinian actress, singer and songwriter. This is both artistsí first performance in Seattle. The two represented Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow in 2009, with the song ìThere Must Be Another Way.î

Noa:

Israel's international pop star offers a beautifully orchestrated concert of her most beloved songs reflecting her American/Yemenite/Israeli heritage. The concert, developed and originally performed with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, has been presented throughout Europe, and most recently with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in celebration of Israel's 60th anniversary.

Aside from her four hugely successful Israeli albums, Noa has released numerous international albums, ìNoa,î ìCalling,î and ìBlue Touches Blueîand ìNoa Nowî among them. In 2006 the Hebrew language release, ìNapoli-Tev-Avivî with the Solis String Quartet, was followed by her first Neapolitan recording of the same title, in the original language in which the songs were created. Her latest release, Genes and Jeans, May 2008, was born from Noa's wish to seek and revive the Yemenite songs I heard from my grandmother as a child. Noa will be touring North America in the 2010-11 seasons performing with symphony orchestras around the country.

Noa, together with her musical partner, Gil Dor, and world-renowned percussionist Zohar Fresco have toured extensively in Europe, Asia, South America and the United States. She has been invited numerous times to perform at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and New York. She performed for a TV audience of millions at the culmination event of ìThe Year of the Family: at the Vatican in 1994 and returned there to perform again in 2000. She has performed in some of the worldís most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall in New York.

Mira Awad:

Palestinian actress, singer and songwriter living in Israel, Mira Awad was born in the Rama village in the Galilee to a Palestinian father and a Bulgarian mother. She studied at the Rimon School for Jazz and Contemporary Music from 1996-2000. Mira participated in improvisational workshops in Israel and the UK sponsored by the BIArts, British Council, and studied in the body theatre school with a scholarship from the America-Israel Culture Foundation. Mira collaborated with Noa (Achinoam Nini) in her album "Now", Idan Raichel in his second album "Mema'amakim", Greek singer George Dalaras, and with hip hop artist Guy Mar. Mira is also working as an actress with the Tel-Aviv Cameri Theatre, and on the TV series "Arab Labour". She is featured in the movie "The Bubble", directed by Eytan Fox and recorded the theme songs for the films "Forgiveness" by director Udi Aloni, and "Lemon tree" by Eran Riklis. Her debut album "Bahlawan-Acrobat" was released in May 2009, and was musically produced by guitarist Amos Ever-Hadani.

International artist Noa, known in her native Israel as Achinoam Nini, will come to Seattle on April 29 to give a special performance with Israeli-Arab musician Mira Awad.

ìWhen I heard her speak on the Yair Lapid show on Channel 2 in Israel, I was extremely impressed,î says Noa about her friend and co-performer Awad. ìI was looking for a partner to perform with, but although I did not hear her singing, her intelligence struck me, and so I got in touch and asked her to work together.î

That was 10 years ago.

Since then, Noa and Awad have established a long-lasting relationship and friendship that has had terrific results. The two have performed together throughout Europe and the United States, including representing the State of Israel in the Eurovision contest of 2009. They have also recorded an album together. The culmination of this relationship is their joint performance on the tour that lands them in Seattle later this month.

Noa was born in Israel, but moved to New York as an infant when her parents came to the U.S. to study. After finishing their studies, her parents decided to stay. But at the age of 17, Noa fell in love with an Israeli guy, who later became her husband, and moved to Israel to be with him. Later on, her parents took the hint and returned to Israel as well, but in the meanwhile Noa completed her studies in a Jerusalem boarding school and later joined the army. Now living in Shefayim, a kibbutz 10 miles north of Tel Aviv, with her husband and three kids, Noa performs all over the world.

Despite having given birth to her most recent child less than two months ago, Noa will be conducting an 11-day tour across the U.S., from Boston to Seattle and plenty of places in between. In addition to herself and Awad, the show will host her longtime collaborator Gil Dor, as well as Gil Zohar, a guest musician she considers to be extraordinarily gifted.

As a songwriter who spent most of her life in the U.S., Noa writes almost exclusively in English, though she sometimes writes music for written works by Israeli poets.

ìI am of Yemenite origins, and this has played a bigger part of my music in recent years,î Noa told JTNews during a recent interview. ìSome of my works are songs I have learned from my grandmother, and incorporated with original music and lyrics.î

Her latest solo album, Genes & Jeans, includes many songs that incorporate this style, and many of them will be included in the concert.

ìMy work has evolved naturally over my career,î she says. ìIíve become a mother, travelled all around the world, and this is evident in my songs. I have a very characteristic style that my followers can easily identify, because Iím all about the content and lyrics, not about producing popular music. I feel that my music is courageous ó itís not trying to imitate anybody or to reach the common denominator. Just like me, my music does whatever it feels like, and I believe that my fans find that appealing.î

Last year, Noa and Awad represented Israel in the annual Eurovision song contest, one of the longest-running television shows in history. Itís relatively unknown in the United States, but it is watched by an estimated 600 million European viewers each year. Noa and Awad were selected to participate in the competition that took place during May of 2009, choosing their song ìThere Must be Another Way.î

Noa said the contest, held just a short time after the Gaza War, came at a time when public opinion of Israel was very low.

ìMany have opposed Israelís participation, and there were demonstrations and a lot of negativity,î she said.

Noaís collaboration with Awad, who is Palestinian, in performing in the competition was a monumental achievement and sent a very important message, they believe. ìOur presence there, as a Jew and an Arab, was very important, and we received a lot of grateful letters from excited fans, many of them from Arab countries,î Noa said.

The duo was scheduled to perform in London for Israel Independence Day, though the JTA news service reported that Awad had to cancel due to scheduling conflicts, and Noa will perform on her own. Following their U.S. concert tour, the quartet ó Noa, Awad, Dor, Zohar ó will launch a European tour.

Noa's latest solo album, Genes & Jeans, can be found online, as can her joint album with Awad, There Must Be Another Way.

Noa's concert in New York (USA)

Achinoam Nini, Israelís international pop star also known by her stage name Noa, is releasing a new album next month with Mira Awad. In the video above they sing There Must Be Another Way, which they performed together for Eurovision Israel 2009.

They will be together again on April 27 at the 92nd Street Y. Noa will offer a beautifully orchestrated concert of her most beloved songs reflecting her American/Yemenite/Israeli heritage. The concert, developed and originally performed with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, has been presented throughout Europe and most recently with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in celebration of Israelís 60th anniversary.

Tickets can be purchased here. We are offering our loyal blog readers a 20% discount off the regularly priced ticket; use code NMA at checkout to receive the discount.

Noa's concert in Boston (USA)