Biography

From her first Norwegian Idol audition in the winter of 2016, Norah swept the Norwegian public off their feet. The young singer’s stage presence, the kind that can’t be taught, was on display week after week on primetime Norwegian television. Born in Norway to a Norwegian mother and Algerian father, Norah moved with her family to Montpellier, France at the age of eight. Her enduring passion for music saw her enrolling at a music high school, where she founded Persian Rugs, a six-piece band she still performs with in France. From being based in Montpellier and playing to a predominantly French audience, Norah Benatia has begun making serious inroads into the Norwegian music scene. STAY received favourable reviews and became a mainstay on Norwegian radio in the summer of 2016. Norah has spent the year following her spectacular Idol run cultivating and developing her distinctive and unique sound, which sets her apart from her Norwegian peers. She says W.O.M.A.N makes her feel strong and independent, all the while MESS is a song about feeling out of place, while still feeling in with your crowd. With big influences like Amy Winehouse, Melody Gardot and Erykah Badu, Norah is ready to take her place between the big ones.