Indignation of Mira Awad about boycot of Noa

Here is one fresh Mira's interview translated from spanish by me ;)

Indignation of Mira Awad about boycot of Noa

September 10, Jerusalem

Mira Awad is outraged! She can't possibly understand how in Barcelona ''they can treated that way'' her soulmate, israeli singer Achinoam Nini, better known as Noa. She didn't know. Her surprise was big when we informed her that the Catalan Party ICV-EUIA pretend to boycot her this friday in Diada (National Day Event) this 11. september.
''You made me very sad with that news. As a Palestinian I must say that it's unfortunate that they boycot Noa. She's one of the persons that helped Palestinian people and their just cause, even paying a price here in Israel for that. I really don't understand those who pretend to boycot her.'' - said the palestinian artist Mira.

''They are wrong. Why don't they look her trajectory. Like me she was always against violence.'' sais Awad , who pretend next 10 October to perform in Cordoba with Noa.

''Maybe the protestors have done many good things, don't know them, but they should direct their justified anger to the israeli and palestinan politicians, not direct it to a singer. They should pressure politicians, the rulers of the International comunity, to find a solution.
I don't understand how they can be angry to a singer who has always supported peace! Noa has never saved her critics of Israeli governement. She has used her voice, her reputation and social impact to promote cooperation between the two people.'' exclaims Awad.

The boycott has been promoted by the platform ‘’Stop the war’’, which accuses Noa of supporting in January the Israeli attacks in Gaza. Awad acknowledged that they had many arguments over the Israeli military offensive in Gaza against the Hamas Islamist group. "During the war, we’ve argued a lot. We come from different backgrounds. My father was expelled from his village in the north in 1948 and was able to return thanks to God. Fortunately we do not become refugees. Noa from the other side, is from a Yemenite Jewish family, from a village who also suffered persecution. Coming from such different places, it is sometimes difficult to accept what says the other side."

On that occasion, Noa asked the Palestinians to rebel against Hamas which she defined as "viruse, monster of bigotry, a cancer within the Palestinian people."

Awad criticizes Israel: "The Palestinian people is living under occupation and should get his freedom and his own Independent State. The occupation must end now. After the unnecessary escalation in Gaza, the result has been a very right-wing and radical Israeli government.''

But the Palestinian singer dares to self-criticism: "Fanaticism has increased on both sides. Unfortunately, I do not understand how our Palestinian political agenda is seen or presented, because of Hamas, as an extremist religious agenda. It is not the original agenda of the Palestinian people for freedom. I fight for our cause to be humanand political rather than fanatical. Hamas's rise to power is the result of many years of frustration.''

They have known each other for nine years. While Noa became a famous artist and international, Awad got known just two years ago with an Israeli TV series humorously portraying the situation of the arab minority. Her talent and beauty are beyond the screen, although she says - "first of all, I am a singer. I have always been linked to music, writing and singing.’’

Her musical dream became continental as she participated with Noa in the latest edition of the Eurovision. Their moving song 'There must be another way' won many hearts even though criticized by many Palestinians for representing Israel.

"It was a very painful because we received many criticism. But we will continue dialogue and cooperation. We will continue screaming for moderation and peace. Against fanaticism. So the boycott of Noa is unjustified’’ she concludes.

Source: http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2009/09/10/orienteproximo/1252579840.html

Interview with Mira Awad in her promotional tour in Spain

While Mira was in one of her recent tours in Spain she gave one great interview to a journalist/writer from Argentina. The interview include stuff on her artistic acomplishments but also some point of views on other things.


Here you can read it all:

http://textosincendiarios.blogspot.com/2009/08/while-she-was-on-promotional-tour-for.html

I loved the interview and especially the last part when she said what are her future plans:

''I am going to be acting in a second season of a TV satire series I participate in called: "Arab labor". And of course I'm starting to think of songs for the second album…''

Can news for her fans be better than this? :))))

PS: Thank you Federico for beautiful interview. Muchas gracias!

Mira Awad: ´Ser artista es un negocio arriesgado´

This note is from ''La Opinion'' spanish magazine from Tenerife...8.3.2009. I found it very opened, sincere and very interesting which needed to be shared, so I translated it in english...

Mira Awad: Being an artist is a risky business

The Palestinian singer acts in Leal theatre at International Woman's Day

ALMUDENA CRUZ | SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE Born in a small Arab village in Galilee, northern Israel, of Palestinian father and Bulgarian mother. Mira Awad has always lived surrounded and influenced by a strong link with art and music.

"I started singing from the age of nine and began composing my own songs at age 15. Then I started my own band, we played Arabic rock music with songs that I wrote" she recalls. The young Palestinian singer perform in the theater Leal on the occasion of International Day of Working Women. Female voices, different styles and hues will be submitted throughout the month of March to the public verdict in Tenerife.

Even though she is beginning to be known now in Europe, she is well known in her country and has participated in several productions as an actress, singer and songwriter.

"I love my two careers, actress and my musical side. I'll be happy if I continue working on both as usual. Acting is, to some extent, a healing process for me, working with emotions that maybe in real life I try to avoid. Beneath the mask of one of my characters I deal with these feelings, put them in the microscope without fear of being judged" she explains.

The music, her other great professional side, is the reason that brought Mira to the Canarian islands. Bahlawan is the title of her first album in which, as usual, she has also composed all songs.

"Music is something different in the sense that I can show myself openly, without masks, to let people ‘’look at you inside" said Awad and also add "being an artist is a risky business, you show your soul openly and you can only trust that people will connect with you" – she said.

About her album she explains that is the result of hard work and effort. In fact, many of the songs were written over a 12 years ago, others "she insists’’ are very recent.

She explains that album is kind of a diary of all these years devoted to art. Bahlawan, the title of this first album, mean acrobat in arabic and is dedicated to her younger brother. "He's always worrying about me and takeing care of me" says the artist.

Mira is also composer of soundtracks for films, including director Udi Aloni's Forgiveness and Lemon Tree by Eran Riklis, she explains that her creative side is "part of a clear intention to write about very personal things but at the same time, very universal about human emotion . I work a lot with feelings " insists Mira.

With Noa to Eurovision. After her visit to the Canarian Islands, where the actress and singer is for first time "it’s an incredible opportunity to perform here, I’m exciting. I've been waiting a long time for this" , Mira Awad will get to work on the final details which they will bring her, on 16 May, to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest with her friend, the Israeli singer Noa. They will attempt to give picture of unity after the disastrous consequences of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

"Noa, music producer Gil Dor and I wrote together four songs and Israeli audience has chosen one of them to represent in eurovision. All songs are dealt with the painful reality of our region and hope to find a way to change it. All songs were written in three languages: Hebrew, Arabic and English. It is actually the first time that the song that represents Israel has Arabic text in it " she explains.
The song tha they are singing at the final gala in Moscow is entitled ‘’There must be another way’’ (Tiene que haber otro camino) and speaks about in a composer's own words: "the urgent need to find a new path, one of the key phrases the song says - and when I cry, I do it for both of us, my pain has no name" concludes the Palestinian artist.

"I am very worried"

"It hurts me to see that the space that separates us from each other gets bigger and bigger instead of healing’’ says Palestinian artist when asked about her opinion on the conflict of Israel and Palestine.
"I am very concerned about our future and I fear that there will come a day when we all completely lose hope, that would be our final end" says Mira Awad.

The singer responds openly and offers a rare and hopeful vision based on the firm conviction that "we must keep fighting for reconciliation that is based on an idea of two people living together in respect and mutual appreciation" she insists.
A path that she recognizes, can not be seen as easy ‘it’s very long and complicated but it is possible if we leave aside our interests, and to my way of seeing things, the only priority that should guide us is the sacred value of the right to live" she concludes.

Her last production as a television actress, in fact, is a portrait "from the satire of the reality faced by Palestinians living in Israel today, has reached a big audience success, it is called Arab Labor" she said.

Source: http://www.laopinion.es/secciones/noticia.jsp?pRef=2009030800_8_204821__Cultura-y-comunicacion-Mira-Awad-artista-negocio-arriesgado

There sure MUST be another way!

THERE MUST BE ANOTHER WAY!

La Notte Della Taranta...festival in Italia.

Mira Awad and Noa were guests last night. Doing the best that they do...singing. With their songs promoting something so precious as it is PEACE.

At the same place...bunch of troublemakers infiltrated between the audience that came to the festival to listen the beautiful music....meaningful lyrics...message of peace and co-existence that has to come to reality one day.

They were anti-israelis protesters....but they for sure weren't pro palestinian protesters neither! You don't do that to your fellow palestinian...calling her names, like criminal and killer! Who did she killed???? Person like Mira don't deserve that crap from anyone.

You don't throw stones onto your fellow fighter for peace. Even though the stones weren't throwen...it must have been like if they were.

Really sad happenings last night...something surely Taranta Festival didn't need.

But as Noa on here blog says...it's only small bunch of people...and that is NOTHING compared to MANY MANY supporters and admirers who like what they both do.

So the best thing to do is just turn the page forward...doing the things that those girls do best...singing, singing and singing.

Music has the strenght to change things...just need time and patience.

Mira you are the best. Belive me...I so admire you and will be suporting you forever and I am not alone in this. You can't imagine how many people thinks just like me...Just be strong and stay well! WE LOVE YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE! Amazing, loving and beautiful person inside as much as outside!!!! May peace be always upon you!

PS: In the continuation...a video clip of the event mentioned...

Mira Awad and Noa new ambassadors of PEACE

Ambassadors of peace - Ambassadrice pour la paix

Noa and Mira on their little europan tour in Italy, Spain and France recived a well deserved recognition. That happend in Lourdes, France on 13 august 2009 or if you like 2 days ago.

City of Lourdes gave them prize and named them Ambassadors of peace.

Here you have the video of that event:

Noa et Mira Awad ambassadrices pour la paix à Lourdes
Uploaded by lasemainedespy. - News videos hot off the press.

The video is in french, but for you who don't understand it I am going to translated the speech of that man in white suite. Since it's not seen on video who is that man I presume that he is maybe the mayor of Lourdes.

He basicaly said that he is very happy to have Mira and Noa there in that Concert for peace - ''Concert pour la paix''. That every year Lourdes organize manifestations that are like that and that this year in May they organized a meeting of foreign delegations of ministres and that they had the honor that Minister of Israel and also of Palestine where there and that they started a good dialogue. And they are honored now to have also the two of them singing and promoting peace.

That is the basically shorten what was said in the video and they gave them the reward of peace.
Nice and very touching!

I was always of opinion that music is still strong enough to convey messages and Mira and Noa are proof of that. Their music is so heart touching so peoples who are open minded and love strong meaningful lyrics this is the music that they will surely enjoy.

Well done girls!!!!!!!!!

Some interesting press reviews about Mira's actoral work

Well, we all know that Mira is amazing singer and songwriter too, because when you read or listen to the lyrics...you can see how deep were Mira's emotion in the time when she created them. That is why when she sings...she easly envolve her public with her performance.

Well Mira is equally amazing in her other art work which is acting. I was able to see some of her actoral work which is preety amazing even for someone who don't speak arabic or hebrew. She surely can catch the audience with her unique way to represent...

That is not mine opinion only since I'm gonna give you here some short but interesting press reviews by some of the israeli press:


“Mira Awad is all of human pain. She makes the air around her quiver from so much pain. She is ready for the moments of accepting judgment. She wants her son but is almost willing to escape. Awad plays the part so movingly that it is hard to describe.”

Dan Lachman

“Mira Awad was blessed with a fascinating voice and so was ensured of a successful performance as Eliza Doolittle. But the perhaps even more important revelation is her ability to shape Eliza from the inside. She was stormy, rude, crude, sometimes even repulsive in her first scene. Yet at the same time, her awakening curiosity was quite obvious – the sense that something else that takes even her by surprise, is taking place within her. So when she comes to ask Higgins to teach her to speak properly, Awad’s Eliza has already signaled to us that her personality is what is seeking to burst out of its cocoon, long before Higgins or Pickering pick up on it.”

Tzvi Goren


“But the main surprise was Mira Awad: she not only looks great, she sounds as if born to the role of Liza Doolittle. She sings beautifully and also manages to stir the emotions – both a fair lady and a singing one.”

Elyakim Yaron


“The charming Awad in the leading role of Liza Doolittle, stepped into shoes of the greats (Audrey Hepburn in the wide world, and Rita in our tiny country), and pulled it off big time. “Lady” is unquestionably just the jumping-off point for her journey to the top.”

Tidhar Wald


“…but the one who enchanted me was Mira Anwar Awad as a female figment of the imagination: so much beauty and nobility in her acting, singing and movement, how beautiful Hebrew sounds coming from her mouth. And when seducing the poet she captivates the viewers with her abundant, serene and graceful charm. And when Ibn Gvirol sends her out of his life and off the stage, your heart simply breaks. During her momentary presence she created a profusion of theatrical magic.”

Michael Handelzalts, Haaretz


“When I listen to Awad, it’s impossible not to be swayed by the velvety, powerful voice. Her voice has something that penetrates deep and gives you goose bumps. ‘Olakatuna’ is the type of song that makes you tremble even when you don’t understand the words. If the radio stations are open-minded enough to accept Awad, you can enjoy almost four minutes of singing that is genuine, candid, forceful and spine-tingling.”

Yotam Peled


“Mira Awad’s clear, elegant voice along with the minimalistic melody that draws upon her ethnic origins do wonders in ‘Olakatuna.” Although the song is in Arabic, if you manage to set your political prejudices aside, you will discover that this song succeeds in surrounding you with familiar yet unattained sounds. When you delve into the meaning of the words you can take it in the direction of relations between us and them but also in personal directions.”

Michal Ben-David, Habama website

Source of reviews: IcExcellence...

Art work - video clips

Well...I love making video clips of songs that I like. Here's few of mine art work of Mira's beautiful songs!

BAHLAWAN - Acrobat

Tayomro e'shita or ''After All The Rain''

Mira Awad - Cloud






Rest of my art work you can find here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Arabella1981