Brooklynite, Eli Salazar, aka XANDRA, is a singer-songwriter whose soulful tone draws you in and asks you to stay. Her haunting harmonies revitalize sounds of the past. Songs written from grief and love, she creates genre bending music in English and Spanish that comments on the gaps in connection to ourselves, other people, and the larger world around us. Her love for music is fueled by its healing properties; she celebrates its ability to connect and build community.

XANDRA studied under renowned jazz saxophonist, composer, and professor, Roy Nathanson. As a member of Nathanson’s “Subway Moon” jazz band, XANDRA performed at the Hard Rock Cafe, the BlueNote Jazz Club, Brooklyn’s Conservatory of Music, and traveled abroad to perform in Munich, Germany. 

XANDRA received the Posse Scholarship to attend Wheaton College (MA) and graduated in 2018 with a B.A. in Anthropology. She did a five year stint as a public defense paralegal where she supported BIPOC families in Brooklyn family court.

In 2023, she returned to school and studied under Tenor Steven Kroeze, previously Tompkins, at the Borough of Manhattan’s Community College (BMCC) and graduated with Honors from the Jazz and Popular Music program.

In April 2024, XANDRA made her TV debut on Saturday Night Live as a supporting vocalist for grammy nominated artist, RAYE. She has performed  locally at Perelman Performing Arts Center, Trinity Church, the Gin Mill, and Nublu.

Currently, as a masters candidate at  Berklee Valencia, she is exploring songwriting themes of growth and resilience internationally. to spread acceptance and love to those who take the less traveled paths in life.