Elyanna is part of a historic Coachella lineup, one that includes Bad Bunny and Rosalia, with the former becoming the first headliner to perform an all-Spanish set.
The 21-year-old Palistinean-Chilean performer plans to bring something totally new to one of the biggest festivals in the world, performing the first all-Arabic set on its stage.
NPR spoke with Elyanna, who revealed her plans for her Coachella set this Saturday. “It feels crazy,” said Elyanna. “It feels like such a big movement for our culture. I always say that when you’re an immigrant you get really really attached to your culture, more than ever, you know what I mean?”
Elyanna shared that when she moved out of her hometown of Palestine she wanted to embrace her culture with music, offering something completely different to the world. “I want to show people a new culture. I feel like a lot of cultures like Latin and Spanish, you hear them everywhere. And you don’t understand everything but it’s so beautiful.”
“You don’t have to understand what I’m saying but it’s all about the emotions it makes you feel.”
Elyanna was born and raised in Palestine, and comes from a family of artists, having a grandfather who was a poet and performer, and a brother with whom she makes songs with. While she grew up listening to Adele and Lana del Rey, her manager in Los Angeles pushed her to try something new, something that only she could do. The result is music that is global and that doesn’t fit neatly into boxes, embodying multiple genres and nations.
