The Etheral Elyanna’s WELEDTO Tour

Elyanna is a Palestinian-Chilean musician, born and raised in Nazareth. Elyanna includes a diverse amount of genres in her music. Growing up her home was filled with jazz and authentic arabic music. Many parts of this tour are inspired by her cultural upbringing and memories from home.

The first inspirational artist of the night was MC Abdul, a 16 year-old Palestinian rapper from Gaza. The young artist first gained attention with “Shouting At The Wall”. Releasing his debut EP, Can I Live in November, seeing rap as a “powerful escape” after leaving the targeted violence in early 2023 and his family fleeing in March of this year. The crowd waved keffiyehs while singing his songs with overwhelming support and adoration.

Opener, Zeemuffin, was truly a euphoric experience. Having Boiler Room sets under her belt, the mother with an intercontinental ear, her thirty minute set truly ignited the crowd for Elyanna. Transitioning from R&B to Desi to EDM to Arabic, and when remixing select songs she created an energetic experience true to Houston’s diversity.

Elyanna opened her performance with a calming dance number, it was like a sense of rising for the day and the journey she’ll be taking us through, reminiscent to the album/tour title meaning “I Am Born.” Her dancers slowly enter the stage and then surround her as she sings the eclectic intro and begins the show with Al Sham (The Love Drink). Airy synths, drums and guitar guide the sharp choreography with breaks in between for her vivid harmonies.  The stage production shares Elyanna’s emotion and succumbs to the melodies. The flashing lights take us into an upbeat performance of Yalla Ya and “Ya Waylak” (I Warn You). From her dancing to the fondness in her voice, she takes you into a nostaglic place with her lyrics and that goes for every song she performed, to the movements, to audience interactions. The Yalla Yanna freestyle as well as Mama Eh and it’s dance break is one of the highest point within her set.

The joy in the movement between Elyanna, her dancers, and the audience is the perfect way to put on a show. She describes in interviews her love for dance though she isn’t formally trained, the emotion and passion behind it, whether it’s for show or amusment. Her choreographer, Natsuki Miya, and her are the perfect match as she also incorporates sharp japanese styles, the sensuality of belly dancing, as well as worldwide influences into the choreography.

The third act is holds lots of emotional weight for her, the culture and country she wants to expresses to the fullist extent. Spending two years to writing and producing her first album with her brother Feras, Palestinian-Canadian singer Nasri Atweh of MAGIC!, and Lebanese-Canadian singer Massari. Commitment to showcasing every side of herself, the nostalgia, devotion, and distress she feels for Palestine.

Many parts of this tour are inspired by her cultural upbringing and memories from home. At the top, she wears a Wuqaya, a headdress with coin fridge, chainwork as well as a white lace dress with Palestinian embroidery. The use of of white lace throughout the performance is an ode the fabric being a staple in Palestinian home decor.

First “Ghareeb Alay,” a reggae song about love over a great distance bleeds into her most notable song Olive Branch. A heartbreaking song that is a tearful cry for Palestinians physically, emotionally, and mentally trapped in the current genocide. In the year it’s been released the song has captivated millions hearts and souls. Performing at El Gouana Film Festival as well as Coachella being the first entirely Arabic act at the festival.

She uses this moment to display a short video of the streets of Palestine and the lives of people affected by the constant hostility, especially after the past year. “Sad in Pali” plays describing the desperation of yearning a home that isn’t present anymore. “We Pray,” a collabration with Coldplay, Little Simz, Burna Boy, and Tini plays during a montage of crowds gathered, all with a shared wish for peace, for survival, for courtesy.

The last two songs rounded out the nice perfectly to me. “Yabn El Eh,” the second to last song on the album and “Ganeni” (Make Me Crazy) the second song on the album. Both about the confusion and enthusiam having love for someone can be.

We experience a full-circle production about the versatile stories of love and it’s connection to all of life’s physical sensitivies. Truly a thought-provoking night that opened me to perspectives that shouldn’t be hard to come by. Working to understand and love thy neighbor as well as community, because we can’t have enthusatic apprecation, adirmation, and history of culture without it.