I’ve chosen to mix it up a bit. Noa is an Israeli who has been controversial here in Israel. Here is her bio from the website:
Achinoam Nini אחינועם ניני (known also as NOA), Israeli born of Yemenite origin, raised in the US, currently resides in Israel with her husband Dr. Asher Barak and 3 children. She is Israel’s leading international singer/songwriter, having shared the stage with superstars such as Sting, Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones, and is Israel’s first Good Will Ambassador for FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN. She was also given the honorary title of Cavalliera de la Republica Italiana by Italy’s President Napolitano.
Together with her longstanding collaborator Gil Dor, she has released over 15 albums which have sold millions the world over. Noa was the first Jew to perform in the Vatican 15 years ago and has done so many times since. She wrote lyrics to and recorded the hugely successful theme song for the Academy Award winning film “La Vita e Bella”. Noa dedicates much of her time to promoting peace and dialogue between Israel and Palestine and to various social issues, volunteering extensively for organizations in these fields. She was the only leading Israeli artist to agree to perform in the historic peace rally where Yitzchak Rabin was murdered. Noa has collaborated with numerous artists in the Arab world, including Khaled from Algeria and Nabil Salameh from Lebanon, but most notably with an Israeli artist Mira Awad, with whom she represented Israel in the 2009 Eurovision, singing before and audience of many millions in Arabic, English and Hebrew.
My prayer for this day is to find my own voice, in my own way, in my own context, and to speak a message of Shalom (Paz). May you find yours as well. Inshallah!
