Biography
Noa, who is also known by her given name Achinoam Nini, was born in Israel in 1969. Two years later her family moved to New York, where she lived until she returned to Israel at age 17. After her mandatory period of service in the Israeli army, which she served in a military entertainment unit, she studied music at the Rimon School. There, she met her long time musical partner and collaborator, Gil Dor. Noa is married to Dr. Asher Barak, and they live in Israel with their two children.
Noa's first album was 'Achinoam Nini and Gil Dor Live', released in Israel in 1991. Her work began with a mixture of specially aranged cover versions and her own compositions. Subsequent albums are composed primarily of her original songs, but she has continued to include occasional covers of songs that have a special significance to her. Her strongest musical influences come from singer-songwriters of the 60s. She sings in both English and Hebrew. Her second Israeli album, 'Achinoam Nini and Gil Dor', is a collection of settings of Hebrew poetry, while her later album, 'Achinoam Nini', included her own Hebrew lyrics. 'Blue Touches Blue' includes one song in Yemenite ('dala dala') which is a tribute to her Yemenite origins.
Noa has said that her name means 'Not Only Achinoam', and she has collaborated with many other artists. The percussionist Zohar Fresco has long formed a trio with Noa and Gil Dor. More recently, Noa has included the Italian Solis String Quartet in her concerts. She has also performed with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom she recorded an album in 1997. She has also performed alongside many other artists, including Sting and Stevie Wonder. She has appeared on film soundtracks, including 'Goldeneye' and 'Joan of Arc', and was also asked to write lyrics for the theme for 'Life is Beautiful'.
Noa has performed live in concerts all over the world. She was the first Israeli artist to be invited to perform in Morocco. In 1994, Noa performed her version of Ave Maria at the culminating event of the 'year of the family' at the Vatican. She performed for Pope John Paul II on several subsequent occasions, and was invited to sing for the main Italian tv broadcast in his memory.
Noa has been an active advocate of peace and dialogue in Israel. She has often worked with Arab and Palestinian artists from around the world, expressing through music a belief in the power of communication and dialogue as a means of promoting peace and understanding. She was the only major Israeli artist who agreed to have her name included in promotion for the historic peace rally in Tel-Aviv on 4 November 1995, where she performed just minutes before the assasination of Yitzhak Rabin. She later performed at the White House for an event in memory of Rabin, and was invited to sing at Oslo for the anniversary of the Peace Accord signed there. In 1999 she received the 'Crystal Award' from the World Economic Foundation, where she has performed with Palestinian artists and participated in many panels on the role of art in the effort to bring about peace in the Middle East. In 2005 she was awarded the Gemona Seminar prize for artistic excellence and her contribution to peace and understanding.
Noa has appeared with Stephen Spielberg in support of the Shoah foundation, and has also supported a variety of peace and development projects. In 2003, she was nominated as a good will ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. In 2004 she performed for 'We are the future', a global telecast raising funds for children in conflict areas. In 2005 she took part in Bob Geldof's 'Live 8' concert.