Elyanna Performs With Coldplay At Glastonbury Festival 2024
The Ganeni hitmaker captivated the audience with her unique vocals and charismatic stage presence
Over the weekend, Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna joined Coldplay on stage for a ground-breaking performance at Glastonbury Festival.
Held annually in the UK, the festival is one of the biggest music and art extravaganzas in the world, drawing over 200 000 attendees this year.
Headlined by Dua Lipa, SZA, and Coldplay, the British rock group took to the stage on Saturday June 29, bringing out a number of guest performers including Michael J Fox, Little Simz, and Laura Mvula.
As the band performed an unreleased song titled We Pray, from their upcoming album Moon Music, they were joined on stage by Burna Boy, Little Simz, as well as Elyanna to perform a special rendition of the track.
The 22-year-old Ana Lahale hitmaker, and former Harper’s Bazaar Qatar cover star, also performed Coldplay’s 2019 hit, Arabesque, alongside Femi Kuti.
Elyanna, whose full name is Elian Marjieh, began singing at seven years old and shot to fame at the age of 15 after her music gained popularity online. Her experimental pop sound is a unique blend of Arab music and Latin influences.
Last year, Elyanna made history by becoming the first artist to perform a full set entirely in Arabic at Coachella. Her appearance at the iconic music festival marked her global debut, while she performed live renditions from her two self-titled EPs, as well as an Arabic version of the classic La Vie En Rose.
She also recently made her television debut on the The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Performing a medley of hits from her debut album, Woledto, including Callin’ U (Tamally Maak), and Mama Eh, the singer captivated the audience wearing an all-white lace ensemble and co-ordinating keffiyeh headscarf. She made headlines by being the first artist to perform a song entirely in Arabic on the show.
“I’m inspired by my Palestinian-Chilean background as well as the American culture that I got to discover growing up in Los Angeles,” she said in her cover story for Bazaar Qatar.
“This blend of cultures broadened my horizons. I was inspired by a lot of genres, jazz in particular. That was all I would sing as a young girl. So I believe who I am today is a result of the music I sang and listened to in my childhood. When I moved to the US, I just connected with Arabic music and my culture so much, it gave me another perspective on the type of music I want to create. Both Western and Eastern music are inherent to me and they just come naturally,” she shared.
Elyanna was born and raised in her hometown of Nazareth, and frequently took family trips to Viña del Mar in Chile.
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From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Qatar Special, Summer 2023 issue
Photography By Raffo Marone. Styling By Laura Jane Brown. Hair: Deena Alawaid. Make-Up: Manuel Losada. Senior Producer: Steff Hawker. Stylist’s Assistant: Sara Hussain.