European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 11, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Israel s Noa spins songs of courage staff writer h m of Hen Iraq s scud,1 a missiles wound in full o their Way into Israel my or nearly four years b my ago a Young Singer living in Tel Aviv gave the gift of a la. Music to american n5? soldiers deployed to her adopted country. We could t give any concerts we were neutralized recalled Noa the Bronx yemeni israeli Singer. It was a crazy place. We were constantly in so instead of singing for the soldiers live Noa tape recorded a new version of ave Maria one of the most Beautiful pieces of music i be Ever heard and handed out copies at the americans Camps. What was different about her version were the words lyrics that changed the song s distinctly Christian tone to a More Universal plea for peace and Freedom ave Maria where have you been hiding Don t you know we need you things Are looking pretty bad Down Here. I know that there is Beauty gentleness and laughter these Are things you always stood for help us find them too Noa s version of the song now available on her self titled album exemplifies the multicultural experience she seeks to make of music for world audiences. A sensation in Italy and France Noa s stateside appearances included Miami s Sun fest where she " had the unenviable Bill position of playing Between Huey Lewis and the news and Joan Baez for a Beer drinking Sun Loving crowd with helicopters flying we managed to overcome it she said cheerfully in a Telephone interview from Tel Aviv this music really gets to the daughter of an israeli yemenite couple the israeli born Noa was often mistaken for puerto rican and grew up different in the Bronx she said where i was forced to grapple with issues of identity and when Noa brings a summer show in Nurnberg Germany for s4s Kevin gom she was in her mid teens she decided to move to Israel. I went there on a summer vacation met a Guy or it combined All the elements of love and curiosity and restlessness she said. Noa whose full name is Ahinoam mini later married her summer Romance and is still married to this real Sweet Guy the Only Island in the r Noa s music while Sung mainly in English has an undeniable Middle Eastern exoticism not unlike the More familiar latin rhythms and soul in its instrumentation As Well As in her full throated swirling vocals. She sings several songs in hebrew and even pummels a Dar Sukkah drum on Noa. Her first album she said is intended to serve As her introduction acid demonstrate a musical commitment to love courage and Early in 1995, she and other performers with roots in the Middle East will Export their multicultural sound to the Mideast West test in the . Midwest an outreach program of workshops with inner City school children and factory workers. I will come to a City for three Days and teach them hebrew songs phonetically and at the end of the three Days we will give a big concert Noa said. Not Only is the program designed to introduce disadvantaged americans to the sights and sounds of other cultures but it s also intended to develop ethnic Pride and help participants to appreciate All aspects of ethnicity. These kids can draw strength from my experience and know that you can change your situation she said. We can love the same kinds of ice to concert listings see pages 22, 23 & 24 rapper movie actor and personality ice to joins 2-Pac and Public enemy on Fine am Erikka s most wanted tour. New faces bake Sale can t Cut Sweet Deal for Seba Doh staff writer for a band that s Riding tall Seba Doh s Home phones stay unusually quiet. It s no secret that Many Dea makers and major Label representatives want to sign up the Massachusetts Trio once their Days with Seattle s sub pop record company come to their contractual end. But like the girl who s so admired that no one dares to Call her for a Date the men of Seba Doh currently gracing the College and indie charts with their album Batease Are poised to take that Call that Neye comes " cd a -."-. However popularity s Only a Small part of the reason that the phone in t ringing for Lou Barlow Bob Fay and Jason Loewenstern. There Are a lot of labels that want to sign us but none of them will Call us directly said Barlow. They Don t like to talk to you directly they like you to have a manager that they can talk to. The perception is All musicians Are insane. You d be surprised who would talk to me just because i m in a we Don t have a manager and that s not the Way things Are done chimed in Fay the drummer. You go through this whole rigmarole to get to the Point where someone asks Lou somebody from Bla Bla Bla called. What do you think about having lunch so it s such a line. We never get contacted Fay said. We re not in spite of its cheery title and Cheeky cover bake Sale taps into a melancholy vein with songs like License to confuse not a Friend not too amused and Skull. No Surprise said Barlow who wrote most of the album. It just seems that every record we release is a melancholy record. It s not even a thought behind it really Bartow said. I like melancholy music. I like music that has an Edge of sadness to it. That s he music i do tend to make As one of the Quirky touches on bake Sale that jars the downcast ,. Ambiance is an occasional burst of instrumentation that recalls the elementary piano banging of chopsticks. R that happens when you teach yourself How to play joked Loewenstein. We re pretty much self taught. You Start with one note a and it gets look for a Seba Doh concert tour of Europe Early in 1995. And for now they re Content to stay with sub pop the influential Independent Seattle Label that launched nirvana s career As bake Sale notches More sales and greater name familiarity in an Industry that remains in the clutches of what Fay called the Post nirvana farting frenzy. As Long As it costs under $1000 to do a single there will always be Way too Many bands and i say let the stupid people have each other and i can hang out with whoever s left Barlow said. These Small bands that get signed to major labels it s a doomed set up. They can go doom Friday november 11,1994 the stars and stripes 19
