Noa

Born in Israel but raised in New York, Noa is an international superstar, an immensely popular and critically acclaimed singer/songwriter in her native country as well as in Europe. A year after her birth, her parents decided to emigrate to the U.S., relocating in the Bronx. As a child, Achinoam Nini (her real name) was insecure, gaining self-confidence through the poetry that she wrote. She began composing songs when she was only eight. At 17, she left the New York School of Arts and returned to Israel; however, once settled she was drafted into the Armed Forces of Israel, becoming a sergeant for a division that was responsible for troop entertainment. For two years she served in the military, only to be exempted for fatigue. In the early ?90s, Noa met guitarist Gil Dor and started working with him, recording Achinoam Nini Gil Dor Live and Achinoam Nini Gil Dor, the latter a platinum album in Israel. Dor introduced Noa's work to jazz icon Pat Matheny, who helped her land a record deal with Geffen Records. In 1994, Geffen released Noa's self-titled U.S. debut, which was co-produced by Matheny himself. Noa continued to create albums for both the international and Israeli markets. She also became more involved with politics, attempting to bring peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Noa found tremendous fame in France, wherein she performed quite often and recorded a duet, "I Don't Know", with Flaurent Pagny. A true global artist, Noa has sung in various languages including Spanish, German, French, and Italian. In 2001, she gave birth to a daughter, Ayehli. That same year a compilation of her greatest hits, First Collection, was released in Israel. Two years later, she was appointed as an ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), devoted to alleviating poverty and hunger through agricultural development and better nutrition. ~ Michael Sutton, All Music Guide