Noa

Achinoam Nini (born June 23, 1969), also known as Noa, is an Israeli singer, composer, and left-wing activist. 

Biography

Achinoam Nini was born in Tel Aviv to parents from Bat Yam. Her family moved to New York when she was two years old because her father, a chemical engineer, received a scholarship. She grew up in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, where she attended modern orthodox schools and studied singing and dance.

At age 15, she started attending the High School of Performing Arts in New York. She also joined the Riverdale tribe of Tzofim Tzabar Scouts, which strengthened her connection to Hebrew and Israel. During a tour of Israel organized by the Society for the Protection of Nature, she met Asher Barak and fell in love with him. At 17, she returned to Israel alone, intending to stay for about a year. During this time, she studied at the Mae Boyar High School in Jerusalem and lived in a boarding school.

She decided to stay in Israel, and after a few years, her parents followed. After completing high school, she served in the IDF’s Northern Command band, where she sang the song “Always 18.”

Her early career saw her recording the song “Babel” for the soundtrack of the film “Notre Dame de Paris” by Gerald Pullicino in 1988. The song was in English, French, and Hebrew and became a hit in France in 1989.

Achinoam Nini’s acceptance to the Rimon School of Music in 1990 marked a significant turn in her career, where she met guitarist and arranger Gil Dor. They started working together as a musical duo.

The duo performed at the international jazz festival in Eilat in 1990. Following this, they released their first album, “Achinoam Nini and Gil Dor Live” in July 1991. Their second album, “Achinoam Nini Gil Dor,” came out in September 1993, featuring songs by Leah Goldberg and Rachel, including the hit “Boi Kala.”

Her international career began in 1994 with the album “Noa.” She collaborated with many international artists and performed for Pope John Paul II in 1994 and 2000.

Continuing her music journey, she released “Calling” in May 1996, “Achinoam Nini” in April 1997, and “Achinoam Nini and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra” in April 1998.

Further albums include “Blue Touches Blue” in March 2000, “Now” in September 2002, and “Noa Live” in October 2005.

She explored new sounds with “Napoli-Tel Aviv” in September 2006 and “Genes and Jeans” in March 2008. In 2009, she collaborated with Mira Awad on “There Must Be Another Way.” Chosen to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest in January 2009, she performed the song with Mira Awad in Hebrew, English, and Arabic, finishing in 16th place.

The creative journey continued with “Noapolis – Noa Sings Napoli” in February 2011, “Eretz, Shir” in April 2011, “Love Medicine” in June 2014, and “Letters to Bach” in 2019.

In 2023, she was selected to perform at the championship celebrations of Napoli.

Political Positions

Achinoam Nini frequently expresses left-wing political views. She participated in a left-wing demonstration in Jerusalem in May 2010, supporting “one capital for two peoples.”

Ahead of the UN session in September 2012, where Palestinians declared statehood, she criticized Netanyahu’s government, saying it did not represent her. She performed at an alternative memorial ceremony for Jewish and Palestinian bereaved families and faced boycotts from right-wing groups.

In January 2017, she compared US President Donald Trump to Hitler and called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vulgar and racist.

She actively participated in protests against Benjamin Netanyahu and the thirty-seventh Israeli government, which sometimes led to the cancellation of her performances.

Nini serves as a board member of the New Israel Fund. After the surprise attack on Israel in October 2023, she was involved in organizing a letter condemning violence against Israeli civilians and calling for humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Personal Life

Achinoam Nini is married to pediatrician Asher Barak, and they have three children. She has been a vegetarian since 2011. Her sister, Odia Nini, is also a singer-songwriter.

Awards

• In 2006, she was awarded the title of “Knight of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity” by the President of Italy.
• In 2019, she received the Shulamit Aloni Lifetime Achievement Award.