Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna opens up after her historic Arabic set at Coachella

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2023 has come to an end. It was two epic weekends full of fun as artists from different genres and backgrounds took the stage. 2023 saw historic moments, like Bad Bunny, the first Latin solo artist to ever headline the festival. Coachella also welcomed Elyanna, a Palestinian - Chilean singer who brought her culture to the stage, singing in Arabic - marking another first for the festival.

©GettyImages

HOLA! USA had the opportunity to talk to the 21-year-old after her set weekend 2. With an excited smile, Elyanna shined with love and humility as she opened up about her culture, how it felt to make history singing in her mother tongue, her Spanish goals, and more.

©GettyImages

You just played two shows here at Coachella. And how are you feeling?

I feel honored. I feel great. I had so much fun, and a lot of people came, which I did not expect. I sang in my own language, Arabic, and I represented my culture, and I sang my songs - and I feel so happy to be recognized. And this is one of the biggest festivals in the world. For me to sing in Arabic here is crazy, and I’m so so honored.

Tell me a little bit more about how special it was to sing in your mother tongue.

You know, what I’ve been saying is that I feel so honored to be recognized by Coachella because I did not have to sing in other languages in order to perform at the biggest festival in the world. I sang in my own language. I represented my own culture, and I sang my own music and danced. I belly danced. I did my thing. My band members even- they were on the Derbake on the Tabla and the Oud- it’s different. It was never done on any stage of Coachella. So me being the first Arabic singing artist in Coachella is an honor. And I wanna thank everybody that supported me and all the amazing messages I got. I hope I can inspire artists and people from all around the world, and I’m very honored. Thank you.

Take me back to when you found out that you were going to be playing at Coachella.

So, first of all, I was in San Diego, and I remember my manager texted me. He’s like, ‘I think you’re gonna be doing Coachella this year.’ And I couldn’t believe it. At first, I told nobody cause I was so nervous. I was like, ‘What? No.’ For real, because I went there last year and I saw amazing artists, and I would never think that next year I’m gonna be playing Coachella, singing in Arabic. Like, what? So it’s crazy. But then I told my mom, and we jumped, and everybody was crying. It was such a moment.

That is so special. Tell us about your background.

I’m from Nazareth, Palestine, and I’m also part Chilean. My grandma is from Chile, so I feel like both are my home, Nazareth and Viya Delmar. I love both so much. I feel like I’m so inspired by my roots, and my culture. I feel like I naturally adapt to both in my music, in my arts, and in general. And it’s really who I am.

When you think about home, Nazareth, what type of memories or feelings come to mind?

Nazareth is home. It’s very hard to explain it in words, really. This is where I grew up - this is where I went to school, this is where I, you know, would sing at home for hours and hours and perform in front of the mirror. I have the best memories there. And we have the sweetest people in Nazareth. Everybody’s very nice to each other, and everybody treats each other like they’re family. And you know, I try to keep always that in LA here with my family. We always try to keep the traditions.

That’s beautiful. Tell us a little bit about how your Chilean culture.

Every Christmas we would go to Chile to celebrate with my family. I have a huge family in Chile, and I feel like a lot of people don’t know, but we have the biggest Palestinian community in Chile. So I always feel very welcome in Chile. Chile is also my home. I have the most beautiful memories in Chile with my siblings, my cousins, and with my family. You know, we always go to Viya Delmar, and a lot of times we go to Santiago too. Bu Viya Delmar is my home. My grandma, my family, they’re always there. We would always cook pastel de chocolate, and eat empanadas, and yeah, it’s fun.

Speaking of food, what is your favorite Chilean dish and your favorite Palestinian dish?

My favorite Palestinian dish is maqluba. You should try it. It’s rice, meat, eggplant and cauliflower, and sweet potatoes. And my favorite Chilean dish, and like Spanish dishes in general, I would say pastel de chocolate. I love it.

What’s next for your career?

Right now, I’m working on an album that I’m very proud of. Maybe, I’ll sing in Spanish. Definitely, I want to do that. I want to learn Spanish even more and get the chance to speak the language for real. And, you know, shoot music videos and just grow as an artist.

©GettyImages