On Nov. 5, Israeli-American singer/songwriter/percussionist Noa brings her distinctive musical style to the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.
“I am very happy to be coming back to Arizona,” says Noa. “This tour is very intimate and passionate; it’s a sort of musical biography in many ways, diverse and personal, rhythmic and lyrical. It will feature new songs and old, in English, Hebrew and Yemenite. It will highlight, beyond everything, the 26-year collaboration between [musical director and guitarist] Gil Dor and myself, and the unique style created by the deep resonance between us.”
Noa, whose given name is Achinoam Nini, was born in Israel to parents of Yemenite origin and grew up in the United States. This diversity is reflected in the scope of her musical range. She has performed with a long list of renowned artists internationally, including Pat Metheny, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli and Sam Lee. She sang a beautiful duet of “Fields of Gold” with Sting this past April in Paris. She co-wrote and recorded the theme song for Roberto Benigni’s Academy Award-winning film, “Life is Beautiful.” Noa was the first Jew to perform in the Vatican 20 years ago and has been back many times since.
She’s also a strong advocate for Jewish-Arab artistic cooperation. In 2009, Noa and Israeli/Palestinian artist Mira Award represented Israel at the 2009 Eurovision song contest. Mira and Noa continue to tour together, with a concert scheduled for the end of this month in Washington, DC. She is active on the public board of the Umm El Fahem Gallery, the The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies and the Polyphony Conservatory in Nazareth, all institutes where Jews and Arabs gather to share knowledge, music and art.
“These days I am spending most of my time promoting an idea that Gil Dor and I have initiated, of a huge Woodstock-like peace concert in Israel and Palestine in the summer of 2017. Details to come. I can tell you it’s very exciting, and we are generating enormous interest and support,” she says.
Above all, Noa loves playing music and interacting with audiences around the world. She looks forward to the concert in Scottsdale. “I’d like to urge the community to attend, and please, bring your non-Jewish friends as well,” she says. “Please trust us with two hours of your time. We’re coming a long way. We’d be so thrilled and honored to be able to share music and ideas with as many opened hearts and minds as we can, and we have learned already that Arizona is full of them.”
WHO: Noa
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 5, 8 pm
WHERE: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater, 7380 E Second St., Scottsdale
TICKETS: $25-$49
BOX OFFICE: scottsdaleperformingarts.org/event/noa-2016 or 480-499-8587
