DUBAI: Chilean-Palestinian singer Elyanna this week took to Instagram to show off her trip to Egypt.
The music sensation shared a carousel of images and videos with her 1.1 million followers. She posed in front of the Pyramids of Giza and posted a short video of the sunset at the historical site as she drove past camels.
The singer was in Egypt to attend the sixth edition of the El-Gouna Film Festival, being held in the Red Sea resort town from Dec. 14 to 21.
Elyanna had performed on the opening night of the long-awaited festival, which was postponed twice due to the war on Gaza.
She wore a white, form-fitting lace gown as she sang her song “Olive Trees” in honor of her homeland.
After her performance, she took to Instagram to share a message with her supporters. “I’ve never felt that emotional on stage before. I couldn’t hold the pain I was feeling singing this song with my brother by my side on the piano,” she wrote.
“My heart aches but all I can do is use my voice to express what I feel,” Elyanna added. “I wrote this song with my mother and my brother and (it) feels very special to sing it on stage at the opening ceremony of @elgounafilmfestivalofficial. Thank you for having me.”
Her star-studded circle of friends could not resist showering the celebrity with comments and unwavering support.
Lebanese-Australian model, entrepreneur and humanitarian Jessica Kahawaty commented: “I’m crying love.” And American-Iraqi beauty mogul Huda Kattan said: “Can’t stop listening to this.”
Emirati actress and TV host Mahira Abdelaziz, who was in attendance, commented: “It was great hearing you live. Your emotions touched us all.”
Egyptian superstar Mona Zaki left Elyanna a comment on her Egypt carousel saying: “Shine gorgeous, loved your performance in El Gouna Film Festival.”
Earlier this year, Elyanna became the first artist to perform a full set in Arabic at California’s Coachella music festival. The musician is known for her songs “Ghareed Alay,” “Ala Bali,” “Ana Lahale” and the recently released “Mama Eh,” among others.
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.
