Najwa

Najwa Nimri was born in 1972 to Jordanian and Spanish parents in Pamplona, Spain. Enthusiastic about performing from a very early age, Nimri took classes in acting and dance under William Layton and John Beitia. Her professional artistic pursuits began with her appearance in Daniel Calparsoro's first film, Salto al Vacio, in 1995. Her role as Alex won her some awards and a good amount of visibility. She acted in several pictures throughout the late '90s and joined the soul group Respect, which recorded two albums, neither of which produced significant results. When Respect broke up, Nimri teamed up with producer Carlos Jean, whom she had come to know through her film projects. Their electronica/dance project was called Najwajean, and in 1998 they hit the market with their debut release, No Blood. They enjoyed both critical acclaim and regular radio play over the next few years, thanks to hits like "Like Those Roses" and "I'm Gonna Be." In 2001 the pair went their separate directions, with Najwa issuing her first release as a solo artist, Carefully, the first record for which she was responsible for all of the compositions. While simultaneously paying close attention to her film career, Najwa released solo records, Mayday in 2003 and Walkabout in 2006. In 2008, the singer reunited with Carlos Jean for the album Till It Breaks, before concentrating once again on solo work with 2010's El Ultimo Primate, as well as acting in films such as Ken Loach's Route Irish. In 2010, Najwa released her fifth studio album Donde Rugen los Volcanes. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, Rovi