When The Expressionist Magazine first featured Connie Talbot, we were engulfed with requests from other greatly talented children from across the world. We just love the talents of young budding artists in any respected genre or medium of art they choose, and feel it’s our duty to show the world the talent they possess. One of the names that crossed my desk was Nora Foss Al-Jabri. After hearing her version of “Heaven Is A Place On Earth,” a song originally done by one of my favorite artists, Belinda Carlise, I was amazed by the similarities they shared. I knew this talented young lady was going to go far, as long as she pursues her passion for singing. We had the chance to interview this budding diva and here is what she had to say in her own words.
Q. Tell us about yourself, and how you got into singing.
I was born January 29, 1996, and I am thirteen-years-old. I have always liked singing, and started singing even before I had learned to speak. When I was eight-years-old, I started singing in a more serious manner. At that time, I participated in my first talent contest and acted on a stage for the first time. This was something that I enjoyed very much, and I knew that this was something I wanted to do in my future. I started singing in a musical chorus and took private lessons to develop my voice. I practiced several hours each and every day. At the age of nine, I performed in the stage once again, in a similar song contest, and this time I won. I think that it was after this contest that other people started recognizing my singing. However, it wasn’t until 2007, when I was eleven-years-old, it carried away. Without my knowledge, my sister uploaded a video of me singing on a large Norwegian Internet site. More than 100,000 people saw the video within the first five days, which is much in a small country like Norway with its 4.9 million citizens. This led to the biggest newspapers and the biggest TV channels coming to my home to interview me, taking pictures and filming me. I remember that I found it somewhat frightening.
Later on, I signed up for the contest called Norway’s Got Talent. I ended up placing third, which I was very satisfied with.
Q. Can you compare your sound to any major singer out in the industry?
I have noticed that other people compare me with Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Eva Cassidy. It is kind of hard to define my style, as I feel I have several styles. I think it is a common opinion that I have a jazz/pop/country voice. However, it is Celine Dion and Eva Cassidy that have inspired me to sing the way I do. I’m also very fond of Beyonce, and would have loved to try singing some of her R ‘n’ B songs.
Q. Has your family supported your singing career? Do you consider that a big part of your success so far?
My family has been very supportive to me all the time, and they have followed me on everything. They have supported me during th
ick and thin, and have given me comfort whenever I have needed it. I would definitely not have gotten to where I am today without them.
Q. Do you have a CD out currently or is there one in the works? If so, can you tell us about it?
I have still not released a CD, but we are working on it. We are producing the record at the moment, and it will be released next year. I’m looking forward to this; I think it will be exciting. I can’t tell too much about the record yet, but I can reveal that some of the songs are written by me.
Q. What is your favorite song that you sing, and what makes it so special to you?
I have several favorite songs. Earlier this year, I performed in a memorial show for Michael Jackson. I participated on the s
ong “We Are The World,” along with several other artists. This song is magical to me. The song was written in the 80s, but the lyrics are still valid today. Too many innocent people in the world, children and adults who have not done anything to deserve it, are suffering greatly. I am half Iraqi, and I often think about how my family in Iraq are doing. However, the song I love to sing the most is “Gabriella’s Song.” It is a Swedish song that is about a woman that
is being dominated by her man, but at the end of the song, she can’t take it anymore and says she wants to live her life. The song has a strong lyric: “I want to feel that I am living all the time I have got. I want to feel that I have been living my life, knowing that I am adequate.” I think that lots of women feel the same way. I have even heard from people that they started crying when they heard me sing it on Norway’s Got Talent because they could associate themselves with the song.
Q. If you could share the stage with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be? I would have loved to perform on a stage with lots of artists. Some of them are Eva Cassidy, Celine Dion, Michael Jackson or Beyonce. All of them are fantastic musicians and singers. There is, or there was something unique with all of them.
Q. Have you done any live shows? If so, where and what was your favorite show and why?
I have been at some live shows, for instance, Norway’s Got Talent and Oprah. Both experiences were incredible and exciting, and I was very nervous. One of my best memories was when I sang in the semi-finale in Norway’s Got Talent, and the audience never stopped cheering me and shouting my name after I was finished singing. The whole audience was fantastic!
Q. What do you like most about your fans? Do they have an impact on your singing?
I love my fans! They are the ones that make me want to continue singing. They are there for me and support me, even if they don’t know me. I think that is fantastic.
Q. What are some of your greatest accomplishments or experiences you’ve had so far in your singing career?
The greatest moment in my career so far was when I was on Oprah. It was amazing. However, I was so nervous that I felt I wasn’t completely able to show what I was capable of. However, what an experience; I loved it! I would say it is partly due to Oprah that I’m releasing a record next year, and probably due to her that I’m being interviewed by this magazine. I recently heard that Oprah will end her show in 2011, which I think is sad, but I fully understand her decision. I would like to send a greeting to Oprah and thank her for having me on the show. It was a memory for a lifetime.
Q. Is singing something you want to to do the rest of your life as a career?
Singing is something I want to do for the rest of my life, but it is hard to make it so we will have to see what happens.
Q. I hear you have been invited to sing in both California and Hawaii. Have you ever been to the United States before and how exciting is it to go to Hawaii?
I have been contacted by some people from both Hawaii and California, wanting me to sing there. However, this is not confirmed yet, so I can’t comment on it any further at this point of time.
Q. What do you like to do when you’re not singing?
When I’m not singing, I like to write music and songs, spend some time with my friends, travel and to play soccer.
Q. Do you enjoy school? How do you manage school with singing and still maintain good grades?
I enjoy school very much. It is important to get an education, so I am trying my best at school at the same time that I’m focusing on my singing career.
I have been looking forward to this interview for quite some time now. I have known about Nora for about a year, having found videos of her singing on youtube. It is good to hear and learn about her in her own words.
I think she is a remarkable young lady with an extraordinary talent.
Thanks for featuring her here.