Entering the music industry is a dream that many aspire to, but few, as it requires a combination of raw talent, unparalleled hard work, and the ability to stand out in a stimulating competitive environment. The road to success is often strewn with challenges, from getting money for quality production to navigating the industry’s stockists and building a Fan Back Base in a world dominated by algorithms and ever-changing trends. For budding artists, cultural barriers, lack of exposure, and limited access to international platforms can make the journey difficult. However, one artist who has defied the odds and made a big mark on the world music scene is the Palestinian-Chilean singer. Elyanna. Known for her inspiring voice and unique fusion of Arab and western influences, Elyanna has taken audiences around the world, proving that authenticity and cultural pride can be reconciled.
The world will know about his incredible violence when they put him on stage during their performance at Glastonbury in June 2024. Elyanna did not allow this powerful opportunity by mixing Arab music with Latin Beats. The singer met with a famous band to perform ‘Arabesque’ on the stage and moved all his distance with his voice. After this performance, there was no going back to him, and continued to collaborate with Coldplay on their track ‘We pray’. These days, Elyanna tours the said group in their World Tour music and is firmly building a fanbase dedicated to her voice, the unique fusion of Arabic and western sounds, and the presence of the stage. Be it UAE or India, whenever he took this stage, he made sure to leave a lasting impression by doing his job.
But, how did he start his career, and what led him to this path? Here’s what we know about the talented 23-year-old singer.
Image Monceres: @ Elyanna / Instagram)
He started singing at the age of 7
It is often said that pursuing a career as a singer or SportsPerson requires starting preparations early, and Elyanna is a perfect example of this. While speaking in an interview with ABC News in April 2023, the singer noted that she started singing at the age of 7 and heard songs from famous singers such as Aretha Franklin, and Amy Winehouse.
Elyanna, whose real name is Elian Margieh, was always inclined towards the field of art, thanks to her parents. His mother is a published poet, and his maternal grandfather is a poet and musician. On the other hand, his paternal grandmother is a pianist and famous in Chile. Therefore, Elyanna followed in their footsteps and began her career in the music industry. As a beginner, he sang covers of several songs and uploaded them to SoundCloud. Soon, he began to gain recognition for his voice and began a journey to fulfill his dreams of becoming a professional singer.
His family moved to the United States to start his career
Elyanna’s brother, Feras, was the first person to discover ecula singing and he left no stone unturned to encourage her to continue her passion. To make sure she gets a good start in her career, Elyanna’s family moved to the US where she started posting covers of her songs on Instagram. Soon, 300,000 people were listening to the Singer on the social media platform. That’s when Grammy-winning producer Nasri Ateweh found him and started working with him.
Later Nasri will present to elyanna that besim “sal” is slaiiby, who manages the church and founded a record label xo and singer. Sal went and signed Elyanna to his management company, salxco, after their meeting and started working on music. In February 2020, he released him first ‘Elyanna’. The EP went on to become a big hit with songs like Shee, ‘Ouleele Leh,’ and Ana Lahale’ being included in many top 10 charts in the Middle East region. On the other hand, his second ep, ‘Elyanna II,’ it turned out to be more successful.
Elyanna is making history at Coachella in 2023
Coachella has a long history of giving young artists a chance to showcase their talents and in 2023, Elyana got the chance to tell the world just how talented she is. In 2023, he became the first artist to perform his entire performance in Arabic at the prestigious event. When he was in the mainstream, he sang songs like ‘Al Kawn Janni Mawk, ‘ What is an Arabic cover of a famous French song ‘La vie en rose’. On the other hand, he did too ‘Ana Laale,’ ‘Janene Orre’ (Shit Me Crazy), and a few tracks from the first two eps.
The singer accepted her Universal job with her performance and made everyone believe that Elyanna is a bright new star in the music world.
Elyanna performs at the Gobi Tent during the 2023 Coanocta Valley Music and Arts Festival, April 14, 2023, in Indio, Calif.
Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Coachella
His family is a big part of his music career
Elyanna’s family moved to the US to start her career, but that’s not the only way the family has helped her over the years. His brother, The hookhe is a pianist who often moves the stage whenever he performs live. Recently, the brother-sister duo played a beautiful rendition of ‘The Branch Live’ In Abu Dhabi when he opened for Coldplay in January 2024. On the other hand, the singer’s sister, Tali, is his stylist and accompanies him everywhere.
Tali, Elyanna’s sister and stylist, has a unique process when it comes to perfecting her sister’s look for each performance. In an interview with Vogue ArabiaTali shared that the duo always make it a point to arrive early for Elyanna’s shows. This allows them to explore the city, focusing on the atmosphere, culture and energy. The Vibe of the City plays an important role in influencing Elyanna’s outfits, as Tali carefully matches each look to reflect the context of the surrounding area while working on the Orlnan Persona. Whether it’s a bustling metropolis or a coastal town, the character of the city becomes the canvas for Tali’s creativity, ensuring that Olyanna’s style resonates with the audience and the spirit of the place.
He released his first studio album in April 2024
Two EPS achievements – ‘Elyanna’ and ‘Elyanna II’ – He revealed the direction of his first studio album, titled ‘Woledto,’ (English Translation: ‘I was born’) April 2024. The album was a perfect blend of Arab Pop, R&B, and Jazz. Also, the album showcased Olyanna’s versatility as an artist, seamlessly interweaving traditional Arabic music with contemporary songs and heartfelt songs that resonated across the globe. The tracks are similar ‘Mama eh’ and ‘Marry’ It has gained worldwide recognition for their beautiful Beats and songs.
In 2024, Elyanna received two awards – best new artist and top arabic indie female artist – at the Billboard Arabia Music Awards.
Image Monceres: @ Elyanna / Instagram)
Elyanna performed with Coldplay during their ‘Shereses’ tour
In January 2024, the pop band Coldplay performed in Abu Dhabi and India as part of their Music for the Spheres tour. Every leg of the tour featured a mystery guest, who would open for the band. For the UAE and India leg, the group announced that Elyanna would be one of the artists they would perform before taking the stage. This opportunity gave Elyanna a huge platform as well, introducing her music to thousands of new listeners and cementing her status as a rising international star. Performing alongside a world famous band like Coldplay allowed him to show his unique fusion of Arabic and western influences on the international stage, gaining fame for his evocative books and stage presence.
They did too ‘We pray’ On stage, the track features Elyanna as one of the guest singers. In one instance, Coldplay vocalist, Chris Martin, loved her verse so much that he stopped working and asked Elyanna to sing his verse, calling her a “rising star” in the music industry.
After listening to him in Abu Dhabi and India, I believe he is actually one of the voices people should definitely check out.
