Mira Awad
Known in both the acting and music world, Mira Awad has some fantastic highlights from her career to her name.
Mira spoke to Female First about life as a musician, taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2009 and forthcoming new material that she'll be sharing with her fans very soon.
At what point in your life did you realise you wanted a career in music?
I don't think it was a conscious decision. As I was growing up it was the family’s hope that I continue in my father’s foot-steps and become a doctor, and keep the singing as a hobby. They were afraid that it is very hard to succeed in a singing career and they believed I should have a "real job", but despite all objections I got more and more dedicated to my music, and I realised I was on the path to becoming a professional musician only when I already was one.
What is it about music that you love and think makes it one of the most enjoyed mediums in the world?
Unlike other media that speak to the brain, music speaks to the heart; it is intuitive, we don't process it with our thoughts, we process it with our feelings, therefore it's like an eight lane autostrada into people's soul.
How do you feel the attitude towards women in the industry has shifted in the present day?
I feel there are two opposite trends: one shows that women have conquered their rightful place, they managed to penetrate the music business and reach positions of power from which the ability to make a change is enormous. On the other hand, we see a growing trend of women who play into the hands of an industry that objectifies women, where the goal seems to be selling merchandise, rather than music.
Mira performingWhat would you say are some of your favourite moments of your career to-date?
One might expect me to mention big concerts or bombastic events, but actually the most touching moments in my career are the encounters with people whom my music has touched and changed something in their lives. I recall one story in particular, where an Israeli guy came up to me after a show and told me had come from a right wing family, and had hated Arabs and the Arabic language, but after coming across a TV interview with me where I also sang, he started listening to my music and following my news, and it made him want to learn Arabic, and this changed his perspective completely. I was really moved.
What was the experience like of competing in Eurovision?
It was a rollercoaster! Once I set foot in Moscow (where we competed in 2009) I was wise enough to realise I had landed on the moon, and that all the physical laws known to humanity had no effect in that different atmosphere, so I let go and enjoyed myself.
You're to play a show in London at JW3 on May 14, what should fans coming to that show expect?
They should expect music from all corners of my personality; Arabic melodies weaved with Western harmonies, messages of solidarity and stories of human emotions, things that rise above the barrier of languages.
You have plans to release a new album in the near future, what kind of material will we be hearing on that record?
I'm gathering material for my third album, I cannot yet say what kind of material it will contain exactly, but I can say for sure that it will mirror my life, the changes that have occurred since the last album, and things I have been going through. Whilst in my previous two albums I was searching for love, I have found it now. Whilst I spoke a lot about loneliness, I will probably speak of togetherness. But one message will always appear, either directly or between the lines: the human kind are one family, and that the natural similarities between us are stronger than the artificial differences. The album will continue my line of West-East fusions, and my continuous search for my own sound.
Finally are you working on any other projects that you can share some details about?
Oh, as always I'm involved in many projects at the same time. I just finished acting in a movie, I am writing a TV series, I am teaching stage performance, and so on...
For more information about Mira Awad see: https://www.jw3.org.uk/event/ear-ground-mira-awad