Mīrā Anwar ‘Awaḍ ( ar, ميرا عوض, he, מירה עווד; born June 11, 1975) is an
Arab-Israeli
The Arab citizens of Israel are the largest ethnic minority in the country. They comprise a hybrid community of Israeli citizens with a heritage of Palestinian citizenship, mixed religions (Muslim, Christian or Druze), bilingual in Arabic an ...
singer-songwriter, actress, television host, and political activist of
Palestinian Arab
Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
and
Bulgarian
Bulgarian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria
* Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group
* Bulgarian language, a Slavic language
* Bulgarian alphabet
* A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria
* Bul ...
descent.
In 2009, she represented
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
at the
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
along with Jewish-Israeli singer
Achinoam Nini
Achinoam Nini ( he, אחינועם ניני, Aẖinóʿam Nini; born ), also known professionally as Noa (), is an Israeli singer-songwriter, percussionist, poet, composer, and human rights activist working internationally. She is accompanied by ...
, singing ''
There Must Be Another Way.'' She was the first singer of either
Christian or Arab origin, to represent Israel at Eurovision,
as well as singing the first Israeli Eurovision song with partial
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
lyrics.
Early and personal life
Mira Anwar Awad was born in
Rameh
Rameh ( ar, الرامة; he, רָמָה; alternatively spelled ar-Rame or ar-Rama) is an Arab town in the Northern District of Israel. Located east of Nahf and Karmiel, in it had a population of . Over half of the inhabitants are Christians, ...
, Israel, to an
Arab-Christian
Arab Christians ( ar, ﺍَﻟْﻤَﺴِﻴﺤِﻴُّﻮﻥ ﺍﻟْﻌَﺮَﺏ, translit=al-Masīḥīyyūn al-ʿArab) are ethnic Arabs, Arab nationals, or Arabic-speakers who adhere to Christianity. The number of Arab Christians who l ...
father Anwar Awad (أنور عوض) from the
Galilee
Galilee (; he, הַגָּלִיל, hagGālīl; ar, الجليل, al-jalīl) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and Lower Galil ...
region in
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, who is a
physician
A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...
; and to a
Bulgarian
Bulgarian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria
* Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group
* Bulgarian language, a Slavic language
* Bulgarian alphabet
* A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria
* Bul ...
-
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
mother Snejanka (Снежанка), an expert on
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages, also known as the Slavonic languages, are Indo-European languages spoken primarily by the Slavic peoples and their descendants. They are thought to descend from a proto-language called Proto-Slavic, spoken during the Ear ...
. They met while her father studied medicine in
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
.
She studied at the
Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music
Rimon School of Music is a contemporary music school in Ramat Hasharon, Israel.
It is Israel's largest independent professional school for advanced study of jazz, R&B, bebop, rock, and pop music. Many of its graduates have become well-known music ...
in
Ramat HaSharon
Ramat HaSharon ( he, רָמַת הַשָּׁרוֹן, ''lit.'' '' Sharon Heights'', ar, رمات هشارون) is a city located on Israel's central coastal strip in the south of the Sharon region, bordering Tel Aviv to the south, Hod HaSharon t ...
, Israel. Awad participated in improvisational workshops in Israel and the UK sponsored by the BIArts,
British Council
The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...
, and studied at the Body Theatre School after receiving a scholarship from the America-Israel Culture Foundation.
Awad lived in
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
with her husband Kosta Mogilevych, an
Israeli
Israeli may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel
* Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel
* Modern Hebrew, a language
* ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008
* Guni Israeli ...
of
Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
descent who is "
half-Jewish
"Who is a Jew?" ( he, מיהו יהודי ) is a basic question about Jewish identity and considerations of Jewish self-identification. The question pertains to ideas about Jewish personhood, which have cultural, ethnic, religious, political, ...
," but they moved to London in the summer of 2022.
Acting and singing career
At the age of 16, she was a soloist for the band Samana, which performed Western rock in Arabic. In the 1990s, she studied at the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in Tel Aviv.
Awad became a star on Israeli television after appearing in the sitcom ''
Arab Labor
''Arab Labor'' (, ''Avoda Aravit''; ar, شغل عَرَب, ''Shughl Arab'') is an Israeli sitcom television series, created by Sayed Kashua.
History
The series premiered on Keshet Channel 2 in Israel in 2007. The second season was broadcast ...
''. She also appeared in ''
The Bubble'', a film by director
Eytan Fox
Eytan Fox ( he, איתן פוקס; born on August 21, 1964) is an Israeli film director.
Biography
Eytan Fox was born in New York City. His family immigrated to Israel when he was two. His father, Seymour Fox, was a Conservative rabbi and a prof ...
. She sang the
theme song
Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...
s for the films ''Forgiveness'' (directed by
Udi Aloni
Udi Aloni ( he, אודי אלוני; born December 10, 1959) is an Israeli American filmmaker, writer, visual artist and political activist whose works focus on the interrelationships between art, theory, and action. Biography
Udi Aloni is the ...
), and ''
Lemon Tree'' (directed by
Eran Riklis
Eran Riklis ( he, ערן ריקליס; born October 2, 1954) is an Israeli filmmaker. His films include ''Cup Final'' (1991), ''The Syrian Bride'' (2004), ''Lemon Tree'' (2008) and '' Dancing Arabs'' (also known as ''A Borrowed Identity'') (201 ...
).
In 2002, she collaborated with
Achinoam Nini
Achinoam Nini ( he, אחינועם ניני, Aẖinóʿam Nini; born ), also known professionally as Noa (), is an Israeli singer-songwriter, percussionist, poet, composer, and human rights activist working internationally. She is accompanied by ...
in a version of the
Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...
song "
We Can Work It Out
"We Can Work It Out" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was first issued as a double A-side single with "Day Tripper" in December 1965. It also appeared on the 1966 US release '' Yesterd ...
." She appeared in an album of live performances of Greek singer
George Dalaras
George Dalaras ( Γιώργος Νταλάρας, 29 September 1949) is a Greek musician and singer. He is one of the most prominent figures of Greek musical culture. In October 2006, he was selected as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Ag ...
. In the summer of 2002 she starred as
Eliza Doolittle
Eliza Doolittle is a fictional character and the protagonist in George Bernard Shaw's play ''Pygmalion'' (1913) and its 1956 musical adaptation, ''My Fair Lady''.
Eliza (from Lisson Grove, London) is a Cockney flower woman, who comes to Profe ...
in the
Israeli Opera
The Israeli Opera, formerly known as the New Israeli Opera, is the principal opera company of Israel. It was founded in 1985 after lack of Israeli government funding led to the demise of the Israel National Opera. Since 1994 the Tel Aviv Performin ...
production of
My Fair Lady
''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...
, directed by
Micha Levinson, at the
Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center
The Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center (TAPAC, he, המשכן לאומנויות הבמה, links=no) or The Golda Center for Performing Arts ( he, מרכז גולדה לאומנויות הבמה, links=no) is a performing arts center at King Saul Bo ...
. She also participated in the Israeli children's song festival "Festigal", performing the song ''Take the Journey''. In 2005, Awad collaborated with
The Idan Raichel Project
Idan Raichel ( he, עידן רייכל, ; b. 12 September 1977) is an Israeli singer-songwriter and musician known for his "Idan Raichel Project" (Hebrew: ), distinctive for its fusion of electronics, traditional Hebrew texts, and diverse mus ...
on the song ''Azini'' (Comfort Me) on Idan Reichel's second album "Mi'ma'amakim."
In 2006, she appeared as an
IDF
IDF or idf may refer to:
Defence forces
* Irish Defence Forces
* Israel Defense Forces
*Iceland Defense Force, of the US Armed Forces, 1951-2006
* Indian Defence Force, a part-time force, 1917
Organizations
* Israeli Diving Federation
* Interac ...
soldier in the Cameri production of a musical adaptation of
Maya Arad's novel in verse "Another Place, a Foreign City." In 2007, she played Amal, an Arab-Israeli human rights lawyer married to Amjad's Jewish friend, Meir, in the Israeli sitcom "Arab Labor."
In 2008, she played a Palestinian refugee in the stage production of "The Return to Haifa."
Awad represented
Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, along with
Achinoam Nini
Achinoam Nini ( he, אחינועם ניני, Aẖinóʿam Nini; born ), also known professionally as Noa (), is an Israeli singer-songwriter, percussionist, poet, composer, and human rights activist working internationally. She is accompanied by ...
(known outside Israel as Noa). The song won a place in the Eurovision final on May 16, and eventually finished in 16th place with 53 points. Awad had previously tried to represent Israel in
Eurovision 2005 with the song ''Zman'' (Time), but landed 8th place in
the national final.
On May 15
Noa and Awad released a collaborative album ''There Must Be Another Way'' featuring both duets and solo tracks. Awad's debut solo album ''Acrobat'' (بهلوان, Bahlawan) was released in June, featuring songs she wrote and composed, in collaboration with Israeli guitarist Amos Ever-Hadani. In 2010, she was part of a panel that chose the song to represent
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
in
Eurovision 2010 to be sung by
Harel Skaat
Harel Skaat ( he, הראל סקעת, born 8 August 1981) sometimes known by the mononym Harel is an Israeli singer and songwriter. He represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song " Milim" ("מילים", "Words").
Skaat h ...
.
She participated in the fifth season of ''
Rokdim Im Kokhavim
Rokdim Im Kokhavim ( he, רוקדים עם כוכבים, "Dancing with Stars") is the Israeli version of the popular British TV show ''Strictly Come Dancing''. The show features local celebrities partnered with professional ballroom dancers, com ...
'', the Israeli version of ''
Dancing with the Stars
''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...
''. Her dancing partner was Dani Yochtman. They reached the semi-final stage of the competition, coming in 4th place.
She also starred in the TV drama ''Noah's Ark'', playing Ruthi. In 2013, Awad performed with Israeli heavy metal band,
Orphaned Land
Orphaned Land is an Israeli heavy metal band, formed in 1991 under the name Resurrection (changing their name in 1992 to the current name), that combines Israeli Jewish, Mizrahi, and other West Asian influences. They are considered the pioneer ...
, on their fifth album,
All Is One, replacing their long time female vocalist,
Shlomit Levi
Shlomit Levi ( he, שלומית לוי) is an Israeli singer. She is a member of the folk metal group Orphaned Land, performing on their albums '' Mabool'' (2004), '' The Never Ending Way of ORWarriOR'' (2010) and ''Unsung Prophets And Dead Messi ...
.
Political views
Awad identifies herself as
Palestinian
Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
and
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
i. While she has received criticism from both sides of the
Palestinian–Israeli divide, she has many fans in both camps. The debate has exposed the uneasy position of the
Arab citizens of Israel
The Arab citizens of Israel are the largest ethnic minority in the country. They comprise a hybrid community of Israeli citizens with a heritage of Palestinian citizenship, mixed religions (Muslim, Christian or Druze), bilingual in Arabic an ...
with their ties to both Israeli and Palestinian societies.
During the 2008 municipal elections to the
city council of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Awad was a running candidate from the Ir LeKulanu (lit. ''A City For All Of Us'') party.
During the 2009 national elections in Israel, Awad voiced support for the Israeli-Arab
Communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
party,
Hadash
Hadash ( he, חד״ש, lit=New), an acronym for ''HaHazit HaDemokratit LeShalom uLeShivion'' ( he, הַחֲזִית הַדֶּמוֹקְרָטִית לְשָׁלוֹם וּלְשִׁוְיוֹן, lit=The Democratic Front for Peace and Equalit ...
.
Prior to her participation in the 2009
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
representing
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, Palestinian and Arab intellectuals circulated a petition calling on Awad not to take part in it. The petition failed to deter Awad and
Noa, who said, as peace advocates, they were surprised such a petition went around. According to ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', "The antiwar movement, they say, seems to have turned into a
Hamas
Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Bri ...
apology force." Awad laughed off the suggestion that she might be used as a
fig leaf
The expression "fig leaf" is widely used figuratively to convey the covering up of an act or an object that is embarrassing or distasteful with something of innocuous appearance, a metaphorical reference to the Biblical Book of Genesis in which ...
to cover up the Israeli government's actions. "The government didn't choose to send me to Eurovision. Noa and I agreed because of our eight-year collaboration," she said.
On November 19, 2009, Awad and
Noa were awarded the Haviva Reik Peace Prize from the Israeli
Givat Haviva
Givat Haviva ( he, גבעת חביבה) is the national education center of the Kibbutz Federation in Israel founded in 1949. It is the oldest institution in Israel promoting reconciliation between Jews and Arabs.
History
Givat Haviva, establish ...
education institution, to honor their commitment to peace and dialogue between Jews and Arabs.
Discography
References
External links
Mira Awad Official WebsiteMira Awad Official Music LabelMira Awad talk at TEDx*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Awad, Mira
1975 births
Living people
21st-century Israeli women singers
Israeli pop singers
Israeli women songwriters
Israeli stage actresses
Eurovision Song Contest entrants for Israel
Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2009
Israeli Arab Christians
People from Rameh
Arab citizens of Israel
Israeli people of Bulgarian descent