Singer, songwriter, actress, artist, content creator, storyteller.

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Born in Rameh, a Palestinian village in the Gallillee, north of Israel, to Palestinian father - Dr. Anwar Awad, and Bulgarian mother - Snejanka Izvorska, between two brothers - Ala'a and Sinan. She grew up in a politically involved family with high humanitarian values. From an early age she spoke out for women's rights, for equal citizenship for Palestinians living in Israel, human solidarity and environmental awareness. She continues to be an activist for these causes, and a big believer in dialogue and co-existence.

Mira started singing from an early age. Her stage debut was at the age of 9. Her musical influences include Arabic music, Bulgarian traditional music, Pink Floyd, Joni Mitchell, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Antonio Carlos Jobim, music from all Mediterranean cultures: Greek, Spanish, Turkish, Lebanese and so on. At the age of 15 she started writing her own songs which are a fusion of all the different influences. then at the age of 17 she sang with the rock band “Samana” (Our sky). While performing with the band, in her compositions, Mira dealt with the issues of women's rights and personal freedom. 

At the age of 18 Mira started attending the Haifa university and studied Fine Arts and English Literature for two years, while performing with her band. Afterwards she moved to Tel-Aviv and studied music at the Rimon School for Jazz and contemporary music, 1996-2000. And later studied in the Body Theatre School with a scholarship from the America-Israel culture foundation. Also participated in theatre improvisational workshops in Israel and the UK sponsored by the BIArts, British Council.

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Mira supports various humanitarian and social projects and is an outspoken advocate for peace and solidarity. 

 

Music:

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Throughout her career, Mira developed a unique fusion of sounds, combining the East with the West, weaving the Arabic language and it's oriental ornaments with Western harmonies, thus creating an Arabic Fusion style that combines many styles and sounds. She has collaborated with a wide range of world-famous musicians: Noa (Achinoam Nini), Idan Raichel, David Broza, Joca Perpignan, George Dalaras, La oreja de Van Gogh, Andrea Bocelli, Tim Ries (Sax player for the Rolling Stones), Steve Hackett (Guitarist for Genesis), Orphaned Land and Bobby Mc'Ferrin.

Mira competed in the Eurovision song contest 2009 alongside Noa (Achinoam Nini) with the song "There must be another way" from their duet album carrying the same title, released by Universal Music. Later on, the duo won the NIF Human Rights for Arts and Culture award 2010. 

Her debut solo album Bahlawan-Acrobat was released May 2009, produced by Israeli guitarist Amos Ever-Hadani and carried a distinct world music sound. She was signed as a Sony Spain artist in 2011 and released her second album All my faces with Spanish musical producer Carlos Jean. This album combined between Jean's electronic sound and Awad's world music. In December 2012 she decided to leave Sony and establish LabelFree, an indie world music label and production company through which, in 2014, she released Write down, a soundtrack she composed for the documentary film about the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish directed by Ibtisam Mara'na. The soundtrack was musically produced by Shay Alon.

In 2018, Awad collaborated with Italian bass player Daniele Vianello, and the two recorded and released an EP with songs they co-wrote called Venezia-TelAviv.

During the pandemic, Mira continued to issue music recorded in her living room, and in 2021-2022 she released a double album under the title HuMAN/WoMAN.

Mira also wrote music for theatre. She won the prize for best music for the monodrama Not Noah's ark in the Masrahid festival 2010, and the 2013 Golden Porcupine Composer of the year award for the music she composed for theatre piece Eyes (based on the writings of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish), and an Acum award 2017 (Israeli composers organization).

She recorded the theme songs for movies:

Forgiveness by director Udi Aloni, and Lemon Tree by director Eran Riklis.

Mira Awad performed at The Liberty Medal Ceremony in Philadelphia, where Bill Clinton handed the 2010 liberty medal to Tony Blair.

Mira Awad also composes music for theatre and film, and is a musical producer. She co-produced the album for singer Yuval Caspin - From me to you, together with Ayal Yishay. 

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Discography:

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• Bahlawan (acrobat), 2009 produced by Amos Ever-Hadani. Label: Helicon.

• There must be another way- Noa and Mira Awad 2009, duet album. Label: Universal records.

• All my faces 2011,  produced by Spanish musical producer Carlos Jean. Label: Sony Spain.

• Write Down, Soundtrack for the documentary Write down, I'm an Arab about the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, by director Ibtisam Mara'ana. Musically produced by Shay Alon. 2014. Label: LabelFree.

• Venezia-TelAviv, EP, Mira Awad and Daniele Vianello, 2018.

• HuMAN & WoMAN, Double album, 2021-2022, LabelFree.

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Theatre:

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Mira started a career in acting in 1999 when she performed in the Arabic speaking musical called Ad'kor (I remember), telling the story of the Galilee occupation in 1948, written by the Galilee originated poet Shakib Jahshan, composed and directed by Nabil Azar. From there she continued into a successful theatrical career on Israeli stages, working in both languages: Arabic and Hebrew, and the occasional English and even Italian speaking production.

 

She works with the Arabic-Hebrew theatre in Yafo, a theatre that is established on the principal of co-existence between the two cultures, in the productions: Dual Solitude, a collage of Jewish and Palestinian poems (also performed in La'Mama theatre in New-York), The committee for truth and reconciliation (a concept taken from a production made in South Africa for reconciliation following the Apartheid). The queen and the soldier (a play based on the Suzan Vega song telling the story of a soldier coming from the battle field to the Queen's castle to ask why there is war), and Creation (prize winner in Acco theatre festival ,also performed in La'Mama theatre, NY), she currently appears in Eyes, a play based on texts by the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, which she also composed the music for.

 

Mira also participated in an Italian production based on Isabel Allende's book The House of Spirits (in Italian), in Dell'orologio theatre, Rome, Italy. And ventured into the modern dance with the production Hold the light for me, a dance piece by Mimi Wisenberg with live music composed by Menahem Wisenberg, performed by dancing singers and a contrabass.

 

Mira played the part of Eliza Doolittle in the acclaimed musical My Fair Lady which was produced by the Israeli Opera house, a role that brought her to the Israeli nation-wide awareness.

 

• From the reviews about My Fair Lady:

 

“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, and sometimes even repulsive in her first scenes. 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.”

By theatre critic Tzvi Goren.

 

Mira worked as an actress in the Cameri theatre of Tel-Aviv for 6 years, in the productions: Plonter, Shirat Hakameri (musical), Makom Aher Ve Ir Zara (musical), Ze Hayam Hagadol (The big sea), and The return to Haifa, based on a story by Palestinian author Ghassan Kanafani.

And for her work in the Cameri theatre she won the Edna Flidel scholarship for young actors.

 

• From the reviews about The Return to Haifa:

 

“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.”

By Dan Lachman.

 

TV:

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Mira appeared on the successful TV series Arab Labor, a satire portraying the reality of Palestinians living in Israel.

Noah's Ark, a drama series by director Rany Bleier. Guest appearances on the sit com Life Is Not Everything, the comedy show Eretz Nehederet and on the Israeli soap opera Hasufim (Exposed) as herself.

Mira also hosted TV programs and game-shows for youth on channel 1 and on the Israeli Educational TV, on programs: Sahtein, Yots'im mehakelim, Sabres, The trail of tales.

She created and co-hosted a bilingual lifestyle TV show called Ahla Yom (fine day) together with fashion designer Yuval Caspin.

She also created and hosted Mira.net, a talk show in Arabic for channel 33.

Mira participated in the high rating Israeli version of Dancing with the stars 2010, and reached the semi final.

 

Writing:

Mira Awad created and co-wrote the drama series Muna, based on her life story, broadcasted on Israeli channel 11, 2021. 

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Cinema:

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The Bubble by Israeli director Eytan Fox.

Al'zendiq by Palestinian director Michel Khleifi.

Zaytun by director Eran Riklis.

The Dove Flyer by director Nissim Dayan.

Family, by director Roni Keidar.

After he loved, a short movie by Oshri Zeituni.

 

Radio:

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She edited and presented the radio program Terminal on Al'Shams radio (the sun radio).

Co-hosted the program Friday at 9 with Emanuel Rozen on Radio 99.

Edited and presented a world music radio show on radio 88 called Online.

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Awards:

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• Edna Flidel Award for Promising actress.

• Prize for costume design for a children's play The summer vacation.

• Chosen Artist for Israel Cultural Excellence Foundation (IcExcellence) since 2008.

• Best Music for theatre piece "Not Noah's Ark" at Masrahid monodrama festival 2010.

• First prize winner of ISC (International Songwriting Competition) for World Music category 2012.

• Composer of the year, 2013 Golden Porcupine award, for theatre play "Eyes".

• PODER (Women in power) Reconciliation Award, by abc* foundation, Miami, 2014.

• ACUM award 2017. (Israeli composers organization)

Fine Arts and Design:

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Photo exhibition of graphically enhanced photographs called "We didn’t have a sea there".

Mira's asymmetrical intuitive pottery bowls participated in several exhibitions around Israel.

She designed a Peace logo that became very popular and is now sold globally on clothing and accessories on her online shop MitraByMira.com in the purpose of raising money and awareness for educational programs for tolerance and dialogue.

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Production and Storytelling:

In the year 2017 Mira established her own production company - Mira Awad Productions. In the beginning the purpose of the company was producing her own videoclips and media content, however, it quickly expanded into a production company that produced content and video clips for many other artists and organizations.

Later on, Mira specialized in storytelling. She helps persons and companies tell their stories in a coherent and wholesome way, serving as a consultant or as a hands-on content creator.

Learn more about Storytelling...