Samra’s Son: How a Mother’s Legacy Brewed The Weeknd’s Homage to Ethiopia













Part I: A Ceremony of Connection – The Launch of Samra Origins

A Rare Public Appearance

When Samra Origins debuted, it wasn’t rolled out like a typical celebrity product—it felt like a cultural moment. Abel Tesfaye, known to the world as The Weeknd, stood alongside the woman who shaped his life: his mother, Samrawit Hailu. For years, both had avoided the spotlight—Abel guarding his mystique, Samrawit keeping her privacy. Yet here they were, hosting a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony together.

The setting was intimate and unmistakably Ethiopian: woven stools, the sweet smoke of incense curling through the air, ceremonial trays filled with cups. Samrawit poured coffee for guests, her son beside her, transforming what could have been a brand launch into a public affirmation of family and heritage.

For an artist who once cultivated near-total anonymity—so much so that early fans weren’t even sure if The Weeknd was one man or a group—this was a stark shift. It wasn’t The Weeknd the persona stepping forward, but Abel Tesfaye the son. This was a deliberate departure from the dark, detached figure of his music toward a man openly embracing the love and culture that formed him.

Purposeful Partnerships

The collaborators on Samra Origins were chosen with care. Abel partnered with both Blue Bottle Coffee, known for its specialty roasting, and Nespresso, an international powerhouse. The goal was not just to release coffee but to present Ethiopian coffee culture to the world.

The first launch with Blue Bottle featured an award-winning Ethiopian coffee from the Cup of Excellence competition, signaling a commitment to quality and authenticity. Later came the “Togetherness Blend” with Nespresso, named to echo the communal spirit of the coffee ceremony. Offered in Vertuo capsules, it was designed to make Ethiopian-inspired coffee accessible to homes around the globe. Nespresso even became the headline sponsor of Abel’s world tour, ensuring that the cultural message of Samra Origins was woven into every stage.

More Than a Brand

Samra Origins is as much a tribute as it is a business. Named for his mother, the brand celebrates Ethiopia as the birthplace of coffee and honors the traditions that shaped Abel’s upbringing. In centering his mother’s name and story, he transformed the launch into a personal cultural statement. It was an open invitation to experience the world that shaped him—an intimate story carried from a kitchen in Toronto to audiences worldwide, one cup at a time.

Part II: From Ethiopia to Scarborough – The Matriarch’s Story

A Journey for Safety

Samrawit Hailu’s life story reflects the resilience of many who leave home seeking stability. She and her partner, Makkonen Tesfaye, left Ethiopia in the late 1980s during one of the country’s most turbulent periods. Civil war, political repression, and drought pushed countless families to start over abroad. For Samrawit, Canada represented the possibility of safety and a future for her child.

A Matriarchal Household

Abel was born in Toronto in 1990, the only child of Samrawit and Makkonen. His parents never married, and his father became absent when Abel was still a toddler. The void left by this absence was filled by a strong matriarchal bond between Samrawit and her own mother.

Raising a child as a single immigrant mother required relentless work. Samrawit took on multiple jobs—nursing, catering, whatever it took—to support her family. Abel spent long hours alone, but the household he returned to each day was one steeped in care, tradition, and quiet strength.

A Home That Preserved a Homeland

Their Scarborough apartment was more than a home—it was a small piece of Ethiopia transplanted to Canadian soil. The culture Abel absorbed there was unfiltered and direct. Amharic was the first language he learned, taught by his grandmother; English came later, after Amharic and French from an immersion school.

The aromas of Ethiopian cooking filled the air. Traditional customs were kept alive, chief among them the buna—the Ethiopian coffee ceremony. These moments were more than family ritual; they were acts of cultural preservation that ensured Abel grew up deeply rooted in his heritage, carrying Ethiopia within him no matter how far away he lived.

Part III: The Sonic and Spiritual Blueprint

The home built by Samrawit and her mother shaped Abel in ways that extended far beyond language and food. It gave him a blueprint for his music and a moral framework that would become central to his art.

The Music of Home

From an early age, Abel was surrounded by the sounds of Ethiopia. His family played legends like Mulatu Astatke, Tilahun Gessesse, Mahmoud Ahmed, and, most significantly, Aster Aweke. These voices filled the house, their melodies mingling with the scent of coffee and the crackle of popcorn.

The influence is etched into his vocal style—an emotive, melismatic delivery that prioritizes feeling over technical convention. It’s why some Ethiopian listeners say they hear echoes of Amharic even when he’s singing in English. The connection is more than stylistic: he has performed in Amharic and even sampled Aweke’s music in his track False Alarm.

The Foundation of Faith

Alongside music, religion was a constant presence. Abel’s childhood was shaped by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, with its ancient liturgies and deep symbolism. Though his relationship with faith has evolved—sometimes in tension with the themes of his music—it remains a source of grounding.

Religious imagery runs through his work, from crosses and angels to songs wrestling with sin and redemption. In recent years, this struggle has tilted toward reconciliation, with lyrics and public comments reflecting a renewed connection to the beliefs of his upbringing.

Part IV: Brewing a Legacy

Samra Origins is where Abel’s personal history and professional life converge. Coffee is not just a product for him—it’s a cultural artifact, a symbol of hospitality, and a link to his earliest memories.

The Coffee Ceremony

The buna, or Ethiopian coffee ceremony, is a slow, deliberate process. Beans are washed, roasted over an open flame, ground by hand, and brewed in a clay pot called a jebena. Guests are served three rounds—abol, tona, and baraka—each carrying its own meaning. The ceremony is as much about conversation and connection as it is about coffee itself.

From Ceremony to Cup

Samra Origins mirrors this ethos. Abel and his mother were directly involved in selecting the blend for the brand, tasting variations until they found one that matched the flavor Samrawit serves at home. The result is not a celebrity label slapped on generic coffee, but a faithful extension of a family tradition.

A portion of the brand’s proceeds supports humanitarian work in Ethiopia, closing the circle between honoring heritage and helping the homeland. Samra Origins stands as a counterpoint to the hurried, transactional nature of modern coffee culture, offering instead the warmth and connection of a shared ritual.

Conclusion: A Mother’s Kitchen on a Global Stage

The story of Samra Origins is inseparable from the story of Samrawit Hailu—a mother who preserved her culture in exile and passed it to her son intact. In that small kitchen in Scarborough, she gave him the sounds, tastes, and values that would one day find expression in global stages and stadiums.

By launching Samra Origins, Abel Tesfaye has come full circle. The aromas of his childhood, the rhythms of his mother’s language, the music and faith she nurtured in him—now they reach millions. It’s more than a product launch; it’s a public acknowledgment of his roots and an embrace of the identity he carried all along.

From the shadows of The Weeknd’s mystique emerges a clearer picture: a son honoring his mother, sharing her legacy with the world, and inviting everyone to take a seat at her coffee table.