Noa Jewish Yemenite Music موسيقى يهودية يمني מוסיקה תימני
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.
Born in
Tel Aviv to a
Jewish family of
Yemenite descent. Noa lived in
New York City from age 2.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed], 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.