Elyanna performs at Fox Theatre in Oakland on Nov. 17, 2024.

OAKLAND — Bay Area music fans may have first been introduced to Palestinian Chilean singer Elyanna just a few months back at Outside Lands, where she delivered one of the most compelling sets of there festival. The artist packed the Fox Theater on Sunday night upon her return.

The concert was one of the final dates of her Woledto Tour, the name a reference to both her album and an Arabic phrase translating to “I am born.”

At this point it shouldn’t have been a surprise, but Elyanna dazzled again, fusing daring pop electricity with performance art. She took the stage shrouded in a sand-colored haze flanked by dancers and a guitarist.

Elyanna performs at Fox Theatre in Oakland on Nov. 17, 2024.

The bass landed with a heavy strike on opening songs “Al Sham” and “Yalla Ya.” Save for a few exceptions, Elyanna sang in Arabic, meaning that most of the audience likely didn’t know the lyrics— but attendees most definitely got the emotion she conveyed.

The choreography went a long way in conveying the feeling of the songs. The stage looked sparse at first, but a hidden lighting rig surrounding it blasted a frantic array of laser lights while images were projected onto a drab gray screen. The urgency of the flashing lights and dancing made for a perfect combination. The guitarist switched off between an electric guitar and more traditional stringed instruments.

Leading the crowd in a four-clap to “Ala Bali,” the artist, whose name is Elian Marjieh, kept the pace going, stopping to talk only few times.

“Oakland, every time I come here I have the best time, it’s the best energy “ she said midway through the set. “I see your keffiyehs; you are beautiful.”

Many donned the scarf-like coverings, often waving them in the air to the rhythm of the music. Elyanna jumped in to security put in front of the stage and sang with fans on “Soaker.”

Elyanna performs at Fox Theatre in Oakland on Nov. 17, 2024.

Certainly, the events in the Middle East took focus, though the night wasn’t expressly political. The performance felt more about everyone’s humanity. That came into focus especially on the show-stopping “Olive Branch.”

“The olive branch represents peace and love. It represents us,” she said. “No matter where we go, we can never lose our identity. We can never lose this.”

The Fox came to a standstill and people stood in silence during the ballad and she sent the feeling to Palestine, Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East. Elyanna then put her own spin on Coldplay’s “WE PRAY” (a song on which she appears).

The supporting bill was rounded out by a diverse trio; a couple of electronic artists and a rapper.

ZEEMUFFIN performs at Fox Theatre in Oakland on Nov. 17, 2024.

Pakistani-born, New-York-based ZEEMUFFIN bridged musical languages in her 30-minute set. The DJ set was really interesting as the artist, Zainab Hasnain, put American pop songs on a collision course with Middle Eastern pop. The set included Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love” and E-40’s “Blow the Whistle.”

Fairdose brought a very different energy, less DJ and more of an instrumentalist. He played a keyboard and added modulated vocal effects via a mic.

Palestinian rapper MC Abdul, 16, had 10 minutes at there start of the night, and made good use of it. Introduced on stage as coming from “straight out of Gaza,” he laid down a flow well beyond his years, drawing his rhymes from his own experience. His lyrics were poignant. He asked attendees to put their cell phones up to record his final song—but only the the chorus, so “your arms don’t get tired.”

Follow writer Mike DeWald at mikedewald.bsky.social. Follow photographer Aaron Lee at Instagram.com/aaronxphotos.