Elyanna

Last updated

Elyanna
Elyanna UAM.jpg
Elyanna in 2022
Background information
Birth nameElian Marjieh
Born (2002-01-22) January 22, 2002 (age 22)
Nazareth
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2019–present
LabelsUniversal Arabic Music
Website elyanna.com

Elian Marjieh (born January 22, 2002), [1] known professionally as Elyanna, is a Palestinian-Chilean singer-songwriter, [2] merging Arabic music with Latin rhythms to create an experimental Arab-pop sound that has captured a global audience. Born in Nazareth, her musical talents were nurtured by her family, with early influences including iconic figures like Julio Iglesias [3] and Sabah Fakhri, [4] Elyanna's career took a significant turn when she was discovered at age 15 by Grammy-winner Nasri Atweh. [5] She has released two EPs: Elyanna (2020) and Elyanna II (2022), and one studio album: Woledto (2024). She is currently signed to Universal Arabic Music. Her singles "Ana Lahale", "Ghareeb Alay", "Ala Bali", and "Mama Eh" have all charted on The Official Lebanese Top 20. [6] Elyanna is the first artist to sing in Arabic on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert . [7] She recently sold out The Wiltern in Los Angeles [8] and KOKO in London. [9]

Contents

Early life

Elian Marjieh [10] was born and raised in Nazareth [11] and is of Palestinian descent. Her paternal grandmother is of Chilean descent. [12] Her mother is a Palestinian poet, and her maternal grandfather is a Palestinian poet and singer who used to perform zajal at Palestinian weddings. [13] Her paternal grandmother is a pianist from Chile, who she frequently visited as a child.

Elyanna began singing at age seven [14] and started posting covers of songs on SoundCloud as a teenager while participating in singing and talent competitions at school. [11] She gained popularity in her community alongside her brother, Feras, who was by her side as a pianist. Feras is now Elyanna's pianist, producer and creative director. Her sister, Tali, handles her styling.

In 2017, at the age of 15, she and her family moved to San Diego, California (eventually settling in Los Angeles) to further pursue her musical career after coming across Wassim "Sal" Slaiby on TV. [12] After arriving in the United States, she began posting covers on her Instagram, where she garnered a following of around 300,000 users, [13] and grabbing the attention of musician and producer Nasri Atweh. Nasri would later introduce Elyanna to Sal, and she would spend weekdays in San Diego while driving up to Los Angeles on weekends to work on music with Nasri and Massari.

Career

Elyanna draws inspiration from jazz and blues alongside many household names for families in the Middle East: Dalida, Fairuz, Sabah Fakhri, Abd El Halim Hafez. In 2018, Elyanna contacted singer and producer, Nasri, who took an interest and connected her to his manager, Wassim Slaiby. [12] She was signed to Slaiby's management company, SALXCO, soon after the two met. [11] She was then mentored by Nasri and fellow singer and producer, Massari. [14] One of her first singles, "Ana Lahale," featured guest vocals from Massari. [15] That track was on her debut self-titled EP released in February 2020 via ElMar Music, an Empire Distribution imprint. [13] In April 2021, Elyanna was announced as one of the first signees of the newly-formed imprint, Universal Arabic Music (UAM), which was founded by Slaiby in collaboration with Republic Records and the Universal Music Group. [16]

Elyanna performing with Coldplay at the Glastonbury Festival in 2024 Coldplay Glasto24 290624 (146) (53836751297) (cropped).jpg
Elyanna performing with Coldplay at the Glastonbury Festival in 2024

In 2021, she performed alongside Alnajjar at his concert in Amman, Jordan the following month. [17] In January 2022, she collaborated with Tunisian artist, Balti, on the track "Ghareeb Alay." In March 2022, she released her second EP, Elyanna II, via UAM. The collection features the single "Al Kawn Janni Maak" (an Arabic version of "La Vie en rose"). Its music video was directed by Caroline "Chuck" Grant, the sister of Lana Del Rey, who ultimately got involved on the project by styling Elyanna. [15] In 2023, the singer made history as the first artist to perform a set entirely in Arabic at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. [18]

That the same year, her song "Ala Bali" was featured on Netflix comedy-drama series Mo . [19] She also performed at the El Gouna Film Festival and paid tribute to her homeland of Palestine with her single "Olive Branch (غصن زيتون)". [20] In 2024, Elyanna sold out her debut North American tour and ended it with the announcement of her debut studio album, Woledto, released on April 12 alongside a music video for "Ganeni". [21]

Boutayna Chokrane praised the record on her review for Pitchfork, stating that it "plays with Arab pop, R&B, EDM, and jazz to express the nuances of love, loss, and longing". [22] She was positive of the "subtle yet poignant references to identity, displacement, and cultural resilience" as well, as those "underscore [Elyanna's] sorrow and ferocity". [22] Moreover, the singer has been featured on the covers of numerous magazines worldwide, including Billboard Arabia , [23] Vogue Arabia , [24] Rolling Stone , [25] Cosmopolitan ME [26] and GQ. [27] On 29 June 2024, she was invited by British rock band Coldplay to perform the songs "We Pray" and "Arabesque" at the Glastonbury Festival. [28] On July 22, the singer officially announced the Wholedto Tour, with concerts in North America and Europe between October and December 2024. [29]

Elyanna performed alongside Coldplay for Saturday Night Live on 5 October 2024. [30]

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums with selected details
TitleDetails
Woledto

EPs

List of EPs with selected details
TitleDetails
Elyanna
  • Released: February 7, 2020
  • Label: ElMar Music, Empire
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Elyanna II
  • Released: March 4, 2022
  • Label: Universal Arabic Music
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles as a lead artist, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
TitleYearPeak chart positionAlbum
LBN
[6]
"Ta Ta"2019—Non-album single
"Ahwak"—Elyanna
"Enta Eih"—Non-album single
"Oululee Leh" [11] —Elyanna
"Shee"2020—
"Ana Lahale"
(featuring Massari)		1
"Ghareeb Alay"
(featuring Balti)		20222Elyanna II
"Al Kawn Janni Maak"—
"Youm Wara Youm"
(with Hijazi)		—Non-album single
"Ala Bali"6Elyanna II
"Sokkar"2023—Non-album single
"Mama Eh"1Woledto
"Good Torture" [32]
(with Sevdaliza)		2024—TBA
"Olive Branch (Ghosn Zeytoun)"—Non-album single
"Ganeni" [33] 3Woledto
"Wala Ghalta"
(with Joseph Attieh)		14Non-album single
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
List of singles as a featured artist, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
LBN
[6] 		US
[34]
"Hada Ghareeb" [35]
(Issam Alnajjar featuring Elyanna)		20211—Baree?
"We Pray"
(Coldplay featuring Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna and Tini)		2024187 Moon Music

Tours

Related Research Articles

The music of Lebanon has a long history. Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, has long been known, especially in a period immediately following World War II, for its art and intellectualism. Several singers emerged in this period, among the most famous Fairuz, Sabah, Wadih El Safi, Nasri Shamseddine, Melhem Barakat, Majida El Roumi, Ahmad Kaabour, Marcel Khalife, and Ziad Rahbani, who—in addition to being an engaged singer-songwriter and music composer—was also a popular playwright. Lydia Canaan was hailed by the media as the first rock star of the Middle East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie Ellis-Bextor</span> British singer (born 1979)

Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor is an English singer and songwriter. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo and achieved success beginning in the early 2000s. Her music is mainstream pop and dance with influences of disco, nu-disco, and 1980s electronic music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairuz</span> Lebanese singer (born 1934)

Nouhad Wadie Haddad, known as Fairuz, is a Lebanese singer. She is widely considered an iconic vocalist and one of the most celebrated singers in the history of the Arab world. She is popularly known as "The Bird of the East", "The Cedar of Lebanon", "The Moon's Neighbor", and "The Voice of Lebanon", among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myriam Fares</span> Lebanese singer, dancer and actress

Myriam Fares is a Lebanese singer, performer, and songwriter known in the Arab world as "The Queen of Stage" with a music career spanning for over twenty years since 2003. Myriam started ballet dance classes at the age of five and her talents were shown at the age of nine, when she earned the prize of oriental dance from "Little Talents" program on Lebanese public television. At the age of 15, Myriam enrolled into the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory School. When she reached the age of 20, she officially pursued a career in entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assala</span> Musical artist

Assala Mostafa Hatem Nasri, commonly known as Assala, is a Syrian singer.

Sari Abboud, better known by his stage name Massari, is a Lebanese-Canadian singer and songwriter. He began his career in the early 2000s and went on to release two R&B albums, Massari (2005) and Forever Massari (2009), before releasing two pop EPs, Hero (2015) and Tune In (2018). He is managed by SAL&CO.

CP Music Group is a collaborative music label and management team for a roster of artists, songwriters and producers. It co-founded in 2002 as Capital Prophets Records by Lebanese-Canadian entrepreneur Wassim "SAL" Slaiby and Palestinian-Canadian songwriter Belly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rima Fakih</span> American beauty pageant titleholder

Rima Fakih Slaiby is an American former professional wrestler and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2010. Having previously been crowned Miss Michigan USA 2010, Fakih was the first Arab American woman and the third woman from Michigan to win the Miss USA title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lydia Canaan</span> Lebanese singer-songwriter

Lydia Canaan is a Lebanese singer-songwriter, poet, humanitarian activist, and diplomat. She is noted for her four-octave vocal range, distinctive vocal stylings, and for being the first Lebanese artist in music history to achieve global success. Widely regarded as the first "rock star" of the Middle East, she is cataloged in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's Library and Archives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasri (musician)</span> Canadian musician and producer

Nasri Tony Atweh, known mononymously as Nasri, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California. He is the lead vocalist and songwriter for the reggae fusion band, Magic!, a group consisting of fellow Toronto natives, Mark Pellizzer, Alex Tanas, and Ben Spivak. MAGIC!'s single "Rude" became a major international hit single. He is currently managed by Wassim "Sal" Slaiby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiba Tawaji</span> Musical artist

Hiba Michel Tawaji is a Lebanese singer, actress, and director. Since 2008, she has established herself in the Lebanese and Arab music scene with her 4-octave vocal range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wassim Slaiby</span> Lebanese-Canadian music industry executive and CEO of XO Records

Wassim Joseph Slaiby, also known as Sal, is a Lebanese-Canadian record executive, talent manager, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He co-founded the record label XO with Canadian singer the Weeknd in 2011, for whom he has also served as manager. Furthermore, Slaiby is the founder and CEO of Universal Arabic Music, which he launched in 2021 in partnership with Republic Records, a division of Universal Music Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elissa (singer)</span> Lebanese singer (born 1972)

Elissar Zakaria Khoury, commonly known as Elissa, is a Lebanese singer, actress, television personality and businesswoman. Known for her romantic musical style and emotive vocal performances, she has been dubbed as the "Queen of Emotions" by fans and journalists alike. Her musical career began in 1992 when she was featured in the Lebanese talent show Studio El Fan; later being awarded the silver medal. In 1998, she released her debut studio album Baddy Doub through EMI Music Arabia. While the album was a success, the titular song’s music video initially received criticism for its racy content. Her second album W'akherta Maak (2000) featured the single "Betghib Betrouh", a duet with Ragheb Alama which achieved commercial success and won accolades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohammed Assaf</span> Libyan-born Palestinian pop singer

Mohammad Jaber Abdul Rahman Assaf is a Palestinian pop singer well known for being the winner of the second season of Arab Idol, broadcast by the MBC network. His victory received worldwide coverage from the media and was welcomed with joy by Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world. In 2013, Assaf was named a goodwill ambassador for peace by The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). He was also named ambassador of culture and arts by the Palestinian government and was offered a position with "diplomatic standing" by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Assaf's story is the basis of the 2015 film The Idol, directed by Hany Abu-Assad. After Arab Idol, Assaf has gone on to enjoy huge popularity in the Arab World and the Arab diaspora and has released two albums and a great number of singles and collaborations. Most of his music is sung in the Iraqi and Gulf dialects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lina Makoul</span> Palestinian singer-songwriter

Lina Makoul is a Palestinian-Israeli singer-songwriter and music producer. In 2013, she won The Voice Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dua Lipa</span> English and Albanian singer (born 1995)

Dua Lipa is an English and Albanian singer and songwriter. Her accolades include seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards. Time magazine included her in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free TV (MENA)</span> Pan-Arab musical television channel

Free TV is a 24-hour Pan-Arab musical television channel owned by Nasr Mahrous and headquartered in Cairo, Egypt. Its main target demographic is teenagers, high school and college students and young adults. It has special partnerships with FreeMusic Art Production, Vevo, RedOne, Republic Records, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and Sony Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faouzia</span> Moroccan-Canadian singer and musician

Faouzia Ouihya, known mononymously as Faouzia, is a Moroccan-Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. Born in Morocco, she moved with her family to Canada at a young age. During that time she learned how to play various instruments, and began composing her first songs. She released several singles and collaborated with many musicians on vocals and songwriting prior to releasing her debut extended play (EP), Stripped, in August 2020. In 2023, she was nominated and was one of the recipients of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Issam Alnajjar</span> Jordanian musical artist (born 2003)

Issam Alnajjar is a Palestinian–Jordanian musician. He is most notable for his debut single "Hadal Ahbek", which went viral on TikTok.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Pray</span> 2024 single by Coldplay featuring Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna and Tini

"We Pray" is a song by British rock band Coldplay featuring English rapper Little Simz, Nigerian singer Burna Boy, Palestinian-Chilean musician Elyanna and Argentine singer Tini. It was released on 23 August 2024, through Parlophone in the United Kingdom and Atlantic Records in the United States, as the second single from their tenth studio album, Moon Music. Spanish and Arabic versions, featuring Tini and Elyanna as the only guests, were released in September 2024.

References

  1. ↑ Marjieh, Elian (January 23, 2023). "elyanna on Instagram: "٢١🎂🎂🎂🎂"". Instagram . Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Palestinian-Chilean Singer Elyanna: I'm Passionate About My Culture". The Guardian. August 3, 2024. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on August 21, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Elyanna's New Album Was Inspired By Kanye West & Julio Iglesias". Nylon. April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Elyanna's New Single 'Al Sham' is a Tribute to the Levantine Heritage". SecneNow. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Can Arabic-language pop conquer America? A Tarzana ingénue and her power manager say 'inshallah'". Los Angeles Times. July 25, 2022. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Peak chart positions for singles in Lebanon:
  7. ↑ Villa, Lucas (May 9, 2024). "WATCH: Elyanna Becomes First Artist to Sing in Arabic on 'The Late Show'". Remezcla. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  10. ↑ Aswad, Jem (August 2, 2022). "Can Universal and Weeknd Manager Wassim 'Sal' Slaiby Take Arabic Music Global?". Variety. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Sweidan, Ruqyah (March 17, 2021). "Who Is the Rising Palestinian Star, Elyanna?". Arab America. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 Barshad, Amos (July 25, 2022). "Can Arabic-language pop conquer America? A Tarzana ingénue and her power manager say 'inshallah". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  13. 1 2 3 Mooro, Alya (May 22, 2021). "Palestinian-Chilean Singer Elyanna Is Unapologetically Ready For Stardom". GQ Middle East. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Minthe, Caterina (May 13, 2020). "Elyanna Reveals the A-Team Steering Her to Explode Music Charts". Vogue Middle East. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  15. 1 2 Kaabi, Amina (June 21, 2022). "Elyanna is the moment". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  16. ↑ Stassen, Murray (April 6, 2021). "Universal and Republic Team With Wassim 'Sal' Slaiby to Launch Universal Arabic Music". Music Business Worldwide. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  17. ↑ Al Saadi, Leen (October 12, 2021). "Elyanna just performed a concert in Jordan with Issam Alnajjar". Grazia. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Palestinian-Chilean pop star Elyanna makes history at Coachella 2023". ABC News. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Mo Soundtrack - Complete List of Songs". WhatSong. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Palestinian Singer Performs Emotional Tribute at Gouna Film Festival". UAE Moments. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  21. ↑ Staff, B.-Sides (February 28, 2024). "VIDEO: INTERVIEW – Elyanna Says Debut Album To Represent Her Latin Roots, Inspired By Algerian, Moroccan Sounds". B-Sides. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  22. 1 2 Chokrane, Boutayna (April 23, 2024). "Elyanna: Woledto Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Elyanna: The Future Sound of Arabic Pop". Billboard .
  24. ↑ "Palestinian-Chilean Singer Elyanna on Embracing Her Authentic Voice". February 29, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Why Elyanna Set Her Palestinian and Chilean Culture at the Forefront of Her Upcoming Debut Album". Rolling Stone . February 21, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Cover Story Summer Issue: Elyanna of Nazareth". June 21, 2022.
  27. ↑ "GQ Men of the Year 2023: Elyanna on Redefining Pop, Craft, Resilience, and Womanhood - GQ Middle East". November 28, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Watch Coldplay Bring Out Michael J. Fox and Debut Little Simz Collab at Glastonbury". Stereogum. June 30, 2024. Archived from the original on June 30, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  29. ↑ "Elyanna to embark on global 'Woledto Tour' this fall". Live Nation Entertainment. July 22, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  30. ↑ "Elyanna Makes Her Debut On Saturday Night Live". October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  31. ↑ "Elyanna Announces New Album, "WOLEDTO"". GQ Middle East . March 6, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  32. ↑ Hussain, Shahzaib (March 1, 2024). "Sevdaliza Links With Palestinian-Chilean Singer Elyanna On 'Good Torture'". Clash . Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  33. ↑ Schube, Will (April 12, 2024). "Releases Debut Album 'Woledto,' Video For 'Ganeni'". UDiscoverMusic . Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  34. ↑ tolsen (January 2, 2013). "Billboard Hot 100™". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  35. ↑ "Hada Ghareeb (feat. Elyanna) – Single by Issam Alnajjar". Apple Music . Retrieved September 17, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.