Noga Banai releases debut EP with family support

Noga Banai, the daughter of the late singer Meir Banai, is releasing her debut EP this Thursday morning. The mini-album includes five original songs that she wrote and composed herself, and it marks her first such project.

Banai says music became her refuge after her father died nearly a decade ago. She described the loss as “a bit like the end of the world” and said music became the anchor she could not find anywhere else at the time, a place to hurt, be angry, express herself without worrying about consequences, miss him, not feel alone, and feel strong inside vulnerability.

The project was supported by family members and other prominent musicians. Avitar Banai and Tamer Muskat produced two of the songs, while her cousin Shmuel Banai, Avitar’s son, and Dudu Tassa also took part. All of them contributed to the instrumentation and backing vocals.

Banai said, “Being the daughter of the Banai family is like ten tons of gold.” She called it a blessing that comes with weight, adding that she does not feel driven by a musical career, but by a need for expression, honesty, vulnerability, change, boundaries, and movement.