Najwa

Najwa Nimri entered the world in 1972 in Pamplona, Spain, the daughter of Jordanian and Spanish parents. Drawn to the stage from childhood, she studied acting and dance with William Layton and John Beitia. Her screen career opened in 1995 when she appeared in Salto al Vacio, the first feature directed by Daniel Calparsoro; her portrayal of Alex earned awards and early notice. Throughout the remainder of the decade she accumulated further film roles and became a member of the soul ensemble Respect, which issued two albums without notable commercial impact. After the group disbanded, she partnered with producer Carlos Jean, an acquaintance from her film work, to form the electronica and dance duo Najwajean. The pair debuted in 1998 with the album No Blood, which received critical praise and steady airplay on the strength of tracks such as “Like Those Roses” and “I’m Gonna Be.” In 2001 the collaborators parted ways, allowing Nimri to issue her inaugural solo effort, Carefully, the first recording over which she exercised complete compositional control. Balancing continued screen commitments, she followed with the solo albums Mayday in 2003 and Walkabout in 2006. A reunion with Carlos Jean produced the 2008 release Till It Breaks; she then returned to solo work with El Ultimo Primate in 2010 and took a role in Ken Loach’s Route Irish. Later that same year she unveiled her fifth studio album, Donde Rugen los Volcanes.