Eliana on Palestinian Identity, Coldplay and Manifestation

“When you show your personality, you shine all the time,” Eliana says.

The 22-year-old Palestinian-Chilean singer already has millions of views on YouTube and a collaboration with Coldplay under her belt.

She’s also doing her first European tour this year and tells BBC Newsbeat she’s keen to spread the word about her home “through music and art”.

Elianna was born in Nazareth, an Arab city in northern Israel.

Israeli Arabs are descended from Palestinians who became citizens of Israel when the state was established in 1948, many of whom continue to identify strongly as Palestinians.

“I feel like a young Palestinian artist, when I have a voice and a platform, I (can) talk about where I’m from,” Eliana says.

“And talk about beautiful things in the homeland, which is so necessary.”

Eliana and her family moved from Nazareth to California in 2017, but she still feels a strong connection to Palestine.

In April 2023, she made history at Coachella, becoming the first person to sing an entire composition in Arabic at a California music festival.

A few months later, on October 7, the Palestinian group Hamas launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel.

Israel’s massive military offensive against it is still ongoing.

Eliana told fans last year that she was “praying for” Gaza and decided to do so postpone her tour last year in solidarity with the people affected by the Israeli military offensive.

One of her songs, “Olive Branch,” written with her brother and mom, includes a nod to the people of Palestine, and she says the song is dedicated to them.

“They’ve been through it for so long,” she says.

While some celebrities are criticized for not speaking out about events in the Middle East, Eliana says that’s not the case for her.

“I don’t feel like there’s any pressure because I’m very proud of where I’m from, who I am and who I am,” she tells Newsbeat after a gig in Michigan last month.

“And I want other people my age, young people and artists in general, I want them to be proud of where they’re from.

“I feel that this is my mission as an artist. It gives me a great purpose.

“I always believe in speaking your mind and I think everyone should feel free to express what they feel.”

Elianna sings in Arabic, with one review of her Woledto album, which says she “plays with Arabic pop, R&B, EDM and jazz to express shades of love, loss and longing”.

And this year she teamed up with Coldplay along with Burna Boy, Little Simz and Tini during their headline set at Glastonbury.

Collaborating with Coldplay is a teenage dream come true for Elianna, who is now approaching 10 million monthly Spotify listeners.

“I saw their show (when) I was 15 in San Diego with my siblings and I was so inspired for a week.

“And I remember saying to my sister, ‘One day I feel like I’m going to perform with them.’

“I can’t believe it’s true,” she says.

Working with the group was “the perfect inspiration and perfect environment” for her as a young artist.

“They’re legends and they’re so sweet and humble, which makes it even more perfect.

“They stand for beautiful things, and I feel like they’ve really inspired me,” she says.

Now that her tour is back on track, she says the delay has taught her to “be patient.”

“It’s a process and you have to learn to trust the process.”

And when on stage, her goal is to “inspire people” in the same way that artists such as Amy Winehouse, Freddie Mercury and legendary Middle Eastern singer Fairuz have done.

“As a child, I always wanted to be inspired by artists, especially when they perform live,” she says.

“So I feel like I need to give that to other people, to inspire them, to give them hope.

“I have so many people who have really inspired me in their own way, and I want to do the same for other people.”

Eliana says she enjoys performing in the UK and seeing her fellow Arabs at her concerts.

“I feel like there are so many Arabs who want to introduce their friends to their culture,” she says.

“I’m always so amazed and inspired that they’re all here to listen to Arabic music,” she says.

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