Noa




Singing for Peace
  
From The White House to the Nobel Foundation, from the peace rally stage she shared with Yitzhak Rabin, minutes before his assassination, to the film recording studios where she sang her own lyrics written specially for the soundtrack of Roberto Benigni's  film, Life is beautiful, Noa, Isreal's most celebrated international singing sensation, is everything but your usual 'Star': She is a phenomenally impressive woman who engages her life and her artistic soul to furthering peace through music.
 

Most impressive is the quiescence with which her career unfolds. This is a story of collaborative success: be it with her long term musical partner/producer and guitarist Gil Dor, or any mix of the world's musical 'who's-who'; from Khaled and Mira Awad to Bono to Donovan, Noa shares her message musically across the globe.

 
Whether she is performing with and engaged in a programme of the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation, or with composer, Eric Serra for songs featured in James Bond's Golden Eye, or being presented with the 'dove of peace' by Nobel-peace prize laureate Shimon Peres, in recognition for her peace ambassadorship, in front of an audience which included President Clinton, Ehud Barak, Yasser Arafat and the King of Norway, Noa shares a musical magic which resonates beyond walls boundaries, foreign policy and prejudice.
 
Noa
Her love of music is sung in every note and her passion for peace is evident in everything she does.
 
For those skeptical of the power of one: read her story and reconsider…. The power of Noa's 'One' lies in the heart of every individual.  It is expressed in the sincerity of connecting, of sharing, of fearlessly communicating through her art, an irrepressible message of  this new age: the message of selfless leadership as the only viable path to a real PEACE.
 
 
      Why did you choose to join iPeace?                                             
      I feel any initiative for peace is essentially worth encouraging. Since we all know there is power in numbers and in the joining of minds and spirits, i feel happy to be able to contribute my voice and heart to this new peace network. 
    
     
    
     You have received accolades at the highest level worldwide in your role as what is best described as an international ambassador for peace, what in your view remains the most difficult challenge to peace, especially in the middle east? 
      In the middle east our history, our pride, our sense of self-righteousness and, to quote the famous Aaron Neville song, the feeling that we each have "god on our side", all contribute to our inability to progress into the territories of peace and reconciliation. Religion is an obstacle, so is fear and prejudice that are mostly brought about by lack of information, especially objective information (in so much as it exists).
    
     
What can be done? Education, freedom, access to information (the wild web!), the broadening of horizons and the shift of focus from "we" (the mad and violent mob calling for jihad or death to the Arabs or whatever it may be) to "me" (do i really believe in all this? do i want to sacrifice my children, myself, my freedom, for a pile of rocks or anything for that matter?), and then back to "we" (once I've taken care of myself, opened my eyes, built a better and more hopeful future for my family, i can start caring for my community, for my culture, for the way i interact with others and for their well-being as well, realizing we are all one great, intricate, beautiful human chain).
 
The list and achievements  of Noa's life and professional persona continue unabated and iPeace is deeply honoured to feature her here, as one of its most prestigious new members. In every nuance, Noa shares with her audiences and her fans, with diplomats, heads of state and even Kings, her belief in dialogue as the means to promoting peace and understanding.
 
 

     With two young children of your own, is there anything which you believe should be fundamentally different to how children are educated, both at home and in schooling, about respect and tolerance for 'difference'?

There can never be enough emphasis on respect and tolerance, on compassion and kindness, on patience and open mindedness, on skepticism (never take anything for granted!) and curiosity (ask questions!!), on individualism. Unfortunately, I feel many parents around the world, and especially here in the middle east, and, sadly, often in our neighboring countries, do not see eye to eye with me on this matter, and do not consider these things the highest priorities in educating their children. In general, i am against ANY indoctrination, and ANYTHING that instills hatred in the hearts of children, no matter what. I am also against ultra-orthodox religious education of any sort, which basically cripples children's minds in what i consider to be an unforgivable way.
 
Her voice is unified with those of Palestinian musicians. Under the banner "Time for Life- A Tribute for Peace she shared the stage with Ray Charles, Mercedes Sousa, Khaled, Nicola Piovani, and various artists from Afghanistan, Sarajevo, Belgrade, Africa and Ireland.
 
In 2000, Noa and Gil were asked to write the lyrics for Nicola Piovani's musical theme for Roberto Benigni's Oscar award winning movie: "Life Is Beautiful". The song was recorded and released with the album "Blue Touches Blue", and became a huge hit for the song-writing duo.

 
     Is an international culture of peace    possible? If so, in your experience could it become viable enough a voice for real change? 
      I feel the only voice that can eventually bring on change is one of a united humanity that includes all factions of society (economic, political, judicial, environmental, religious, artistic, etc.). No one group alone can work effectively to shift the sad state of things as they are today. Further, we must be willing to sacrifice, truly, sacrifice, some of our comfort, maybe much of it, for the benefit of others.  How many of us, even activist and self-proclaimed believers, are truly prepared to do that?
    
     
In May 2004 Noa performed in "We Are the Future": a globally telecast fund raising concert for children in conflict areas. The event, which was produced by Quincy Jones and hosted by the mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni, featured an international line-up of stars and performers such as Oprah Winfrey, Angelina Jolie, Chris Tucker, Naomi Campbell and Serena Williams, Patti Austin, Carlos Santana, Alicia Keys, Andrea Bocelli, Carmen Consoli, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Stomp, Take 6, Angelique Kidjo and others. The concert was performed live in front of an audience of 350,000 in Rome's "Circo Massimo", and broadcast on MTV, VH1 and various other channels to millions more around the world.
 
 
      In all your years of impressive peace activism, which moments stand as the most impressive? 
      Singing at the peace rally on Nov 4th 1995 where hundreds of thousands of Israelis came out to support peace, just minutes before their hero (and mine too!), Yitzhak Rabin, was murdered in cold blood by Yigal Amir. That was what you would call, a defining moment. I came away from that dreadful night a changed woman. 
    
     
      Noa is the first woman to receive the "Galileo Galilei" order medal from the "Grand Orient", the Italian arm of the Free Masons Organization. She has gone on to receive the prestigious "Gemona Seminar" prize for artistic excellence and her contribution to peace and understanding.  During  a performance at the "Ambrosetti Forum" which took place in Villa d'Este, Como, Italy, before distinguished participants such as Shimon Peres, Saeb Arekat and Amer Mussa, she took advantage of this stage, as she has many times before, to express her belief in the importance of dialogue and the need for vision-driven, self-less leadership.
    
     
     
      Most recently she was awarded the prestigious "Stella de la Republica " ( the "Star of the Republic)  by the President of the Italian Republic, President Neapolitano, and she has been officially been accorded an Italian Knighthood: with the status of "Cavalliere", which is the highest honor Italy has to give in recognition of public service.
    

     
      Could you elaborate a little on your own message of peace through the role of music? 
      Music breaks barriers, connects us on the deepest level, in those places where we are all vulnerably the same: our guts and emotions.  I feel peace is like the rings created by a rock thrown into water. One small rock creates one small ring that becomes wider and wider but weaker at the same time, unless it meets other rings, and joins them, and together they make waves.
    
     
My voice is a ring dreaming to become a wave.
 

iPeace celebrates your life and your art as part of a global desire for peace everywhere.




Photos (from the top)
With Andrea Bocelli
Singing for Shimon Peres and Yoko Ono
With The Pope John Paul II
With Bill Clinton


Achinoam Nini/Noa's Page in iPeace
Gil Dor's Page in iPeace

Noa's Website

Beautiful That Way- by Noa, the Director's Cut. (iPeace member Yomtov Moshe has uploaded his private version of this beautiful clip.)



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Comment by Achinoam Nini/Noa on December 4, 2008 at 1:00am
hello everybody it's me, noa. thanks for all the beautiful things you wrote. i am honored and touched deeply. to you leon, who asked abot the 'tikva' i want to say that i agree with you, there should be an anthem written for israel that includes all her citizens, not only jews, but i also understand that this issue touches the depth of our problem in israel, the essence of our identity crisis: we are torn between seeing ourselves as the jewish homeland, so deperately needed after thousands of years of exile and opression culminated by the horrors of the holocuast, and understanding that no free democratic state can ostracize so many of its citizens no matter what the historc justification may be. israel's greatest challenge is the resolution of this problem. meanwhile, i would suggest to Abbas to respect the existing anthem, as the state respects him, while at the same time, petition to create a new one. i would support him wholeheartedly if he were wise enough to do that.
sending all of you all my love, noa
Comment by Leon Green on December 3, 2008 at 2:08pm
Dear Noa. I love your song and your music. I have had this crazy idea and I would like to know your opinion. There is a footballer, Abbas Suan is his his name, I think but I am not sure. He plays for the Israeli national team and was recently criticised for not singing the Hatikva at matches. I understand why, as an arab he would not want to sing a song which was written for Jews. So, why doesn't somebody write an alternative version, about peace and coexistence that Arab and Jewish footballers and supporters could sing with pride at all football matches played in Israel? And an Arabic version should be written as well. Or am I being naive? Leon Green
Comment by shahid mehmud on December 3, 2008 at 11:11am
Hi noa
how r u hope uwill b fine
Comment by Dirk Boehmer on December 2, 2008 at 2:27pm
Dear Noa,

like an outstanding and precious red rose you very much enlighten our bouquet of sunflowers here on ipeace and I greatly appreciate that you share your essence in terms of your supreme global peace mission with us …..

Hence, I very much hope to see and listen to your wonderful voice and lyrics at your concert gig in Darmstadt tomorrow... ;-))

I very much appreciate and do share your attitude and thoughts on the needs (if not even imperatives) of modern education towards our beautiful children on this planet…

Growing global connectivity along with ever-rising (informational as well as emotional) complexity and very disputable (spritutal and ethical) “sustainability” promptly call for an increased educational consciousness of FAIRness world wide:

F = Focus on compassion and wisdom
A = Awareness and Attentiveness
I = Insight, Intuition and (sagacious) Intelligence
R = Respect and Responsibility

When we soon ask our kids:
"With which ear do hear best?"
the answer should be:
"Of course with the ear of our heart" ;-))

I believe that the "next generation Z" can further and leverage global peace a great deal, if we as parents train and entrust our kids more with keen emotional, spiritual and sagacious abilities than just with “media-driven fast-food intelligence to go”.....

Please read more on these topics in my blog under:

“True Peace via Generation Z ?”
http://www.ipeace.me/profiles/blogs/true-peace-via-generation-z-1

and

“Global Wisdom” (on the Worldshift-Network of the Club of Budapest)
http://www.ipeace.me/profiles/blogs/2217368:BlogPost:111884

Love
Dirk
Comment by Eugenio on December 1, 2008 at 11:55pm
Noa, your story and your commitment to peace give me an inspiration. I love your music, and my little daughter name is Noa. God bless you
Comment by Wanda Palinkas on December 1, 2008 at 7:45am
Hi Noa,
It's an honour be be a part of iPeace with you. Your contribution to peace will resonate around the world and hopefully touch everyone.
Thank you
Comment by Marilyn McCulloch on November 30, 2008 at 9:27pm
What an honor to know such an ambassador for music and peace has joined iPeace. In my smaller way, I, too, sing for peace, and I know that we are all raising the consciousness of the planet through the making of music. Thank you for joining us here. Blessings and light, Marilyn
Comment by Barin Mehta on November 30, 2008 at 7:46pm
This is a good thing that you are here with so many peace lover! Thank you!
Comment by Heidi Walter on November 30, 2008 at 7:09pm
So, so nice. Such a lovely voice. Thanks for being on iPeace.
Comment by ETELVINA GONÇALVES da COSTA on November 30, 2008 at 4:54pm
HELLO VERY BEAUTIFUL YOUR STORY ETELVINA
Comment by Gill Birch on November 30, 2008 at 11:46am
Just käma to you, beautiful soul :-))
Gill

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