Elly Paspala was born in New York of Greek parents. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Manhattan School of Music where she studied voice with Soprano Judith Raskin. She studied acting with the actor William Hickey at New York’s H.B Studios. While studying at Manhattan and after graduation, she gave many concerts throughout U.S and Canada as well as performing in operatic productions, one of which was the New York production of director Bob Wilson and composer Gavin Bryar’s opera “Medea”.

Elly Paspala came to Athens in 1982 where she immediately began her exclusive musical career. For the next six years she is established as a key collaborator of Manos Hadjidakis. The Pornography, The Ballads of Road Athena, Memed My Hawk, The Roman Forum, Laiki Agora, and her participation in performances of Sirius, are only the surtitles in a deep and decisive relationship apprenticeship by Manos Hadjidakis.

In late 1988, her first solo album in the moonlight. Many new collaborations and touring in Greece and abroad.

Throughout the 90s she further expands the boundaries of both the music search and subversion: From Harama stage with Dimitra Galani to the Athens Concert Hall, from Vasilis Tsitsanis to Tom Waits. Mikis Theodorakis, Dionisis Savvopoulos, Lena Platonos, Stamatis Kraounakis, Stamos Semsis Nikos Xidakis, Nikos Portokaloglou Panagiotis Kalantzopoulos, Evanthia Reboutsika, Notis Mavroudis, Nikos Kypourgos, Active Member are some of the artists she works with this period. Her personal record, "For the habit of love", one of her most important personal album, with music by Panayotis Kalantzopoulos, performances that stand out as The World Music with Maria Farantouri and Savina Yannatou and the CD of the Trio (Elli Paspala, David Lynch, Stavros Lantsias).

Many more collaborations follow, and many recordings.

For two years her collaboration with pianist Takis Farazis has revealed the great expressive power and maturity in foreign artists' songs like Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Rufus Wainwright, George Gershwin, Cole Porter and others. The most recent "music" of the trip has gone as far as the music of Latin America with the Apurimac complex. Their song 'Mi ultimo tango en Atenas' travels in all continents online successfully.

Ellie Paspala divides her time between albums, performances, and teaching. She is voice faculty at the Philippos Nakas Conservatory.