Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna has captivated fans with her fusion of Arab pop beats with Latin rhythms, demonstrated across hits like “Sokkar” and “Ana Lahale,” along with poignant lyricism on themes of Arab pride, resilience, love, loss and displacement.
After moving to California at 15 to pursue music, Elyanna met her producers and co-writers, Nasri and Massari, who encouraged her to sing in Arabic during their first session together.
Seven years later, Elyanna, Nasri, and Massari still work together and the singer says that she believes her sound can resonate with an international audience. She also find solace in being surrounded by those to her ahead of a show: her team, family and friends.
After releasing her debut album WOLEDTO in April – the title of which translates to “I am born” in English – Elyanna is deep in rehearsals for her upcoming global tour. Following a series of festival appearances, the run will kick off in October, seeing the singer perform throughout North America and Europe.
“Back home in Nazareth, dreams don’t always come true. It’s very very rare,” Elyanna says. “Being a Palestinian girl and living in LA, being able to embrace who I am and where I come from, this is a big deal.”
Reflecting on her upbringing, the singer notes that her dad always played music at home and she’s been performing and making music since she was a kid, laying the foundation for her drive to introduce those sounds, and her own spin on them, to the world.
“I’m just a very proud Palestinian-Chilean girl, and I am always going to represent who I am”, Elyanna says.
Watch the full Hypebeast Diaries with Elyanna above.
