DUBAI: Chilean Palestinian singer Elyanna made her television debut this week on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
The 22-year-old music sensation delivered a medley of hits from her debut album “Woledto,” including “Callin’ U (Tamally Maak)” and “Mama Eh,” the first song performed entirely in Arabic on the show.
Her performance featured an ensemble of oud, tabla, riq and dancers.
“I had so much fun performing on this iconic stage,” she wrote to her 1.2 million followers after her show.
The hitmaker was adorned in a white lace dress featuring two thigh-high slits. She complemented the attire with coin-belt accessories, draping them over her shoulders and fastening them around her calves to add a Middle Eastern touch to her look.
In one of the pictures she shared with her fans, she proudly wore the Palestinian keffiyeh around her head as she posed in front of “The Late Show” desk.
Elyanna dropped her album in April. It features nine songs: “Woledto,” “Ganeni,” “Calling U,” “Al Sham,” “Mama Eh,” “Kon Nafsak,” “Lel Ya Lel,” “Yabn El Eh” and “Sad in Pali.”
Before releasing the album, she wrote to her Instagram followers: “This album is the embodiment of pride to be an Arab woman, to be from Nazareth, to be from the Middle East.”
“This is the closest I’ve been to where I come from,” she added. “The only feature on my album is my grandfather.”
The Los Angeles-based singer’s music is a mix of Arabic and Western beats, which she attributes to her multicultural upbringing.
Elyanna has been normalizing Arabic lyrics in the Western world throughout her career, taking inspiration from artists including Lana Del Ray and Beyonce, as well as Middle Eastern legend Fayrouz.
In 2023, Elyanna became the first artist to perform a full set in Arabic at California’s Coachella music festival.
She embarked on a North American Tour this year, gracing stages in Dallas, Houston, Toronto, Montreal, Washington, New York, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco and Santa Ana.
