Abel Tesfaye Ethnicity: Ethiopian Amhara Heritage & Background Explained

Quick answer: Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) is fully Ethiopian — both his mother, Samrawit Hailu, and his father, Makkonen Tesfaye, are Amhara Ethiopian immigrants who moved to Canada in the 1980s. He grew up in Scarborough, Ontario, speaking Amharic and attending an Ethiopian Orthodox church.

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What Is Abel Tesfaye's Ethnicity?

Abel Tesfaye is 100% Ethiopian. His ethnicity is specifically Amhara — one of the largest ethnic groups in Ethiopia, predominantly based in the northern and central highlands. Both his parents, Makkonen Tesfaye and Samrawit Hailu, immigrated from Ethiopia to Canada in the 1980s, settling in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough. Abel speaks Amharic fluently, attended an Ethiopian Orthodox church growing up, and has described his upbringing as deeply rooted in Ethiopian culture and music.

He is not mixed race. Despite his distinctive appearance and vocal style, which many find unusual to categorize, his documented heritage is entirely Ethiopian.

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Father's Side: Amhara Ethiopian Roots

Abel's father, Makkonen Tesfaye, is Ethiopian. He separated from Abel's mother shortly after Abel's birth, and Abel grew up having little contact with him. Abel took his father's first name as his surname — "Tesfaye "means "my hope "in Amharic.

His paternal grandfather's surname is Tesfaye, as documented by EthniCelebs. Further paternal genealogical details are not publicly available.

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Mother's Side: Ethiopian Heritage

Abel's mother, Samrawit Hailu, is Ethiopian, and raised him largely on her own in Scarborough. She worked multiple jobs to provide for Abel. His maternal grandmother, whose surname is Hailu, also played a significant role in his upbringing and is central to his Ethiopian Orthodox faith and cultural grounding.

In interviews, Abel has described his mother as "a great mom, very protective, very cultured, "and said she was "working three, four jobs. Single-mother jobs."

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Grandparents: A Complete Picture

[Grandfather] Tesfaye (paternal grandfather) — Ethiopian (Amhara region). [Unknown] (paternal grandmother) — Ethiopian. [Unknown] (maternal grandfather) — Ethiopian. [Grandmother] Hailu (maternal grandmother) — Ethiopian; helped raise Abel in Scarborough.

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Spouse's Ethnicity & Children's Heritage

Abel Tesfaye has no publicly confirmed spouse as of 2026. He has had high-profile relationships with Bella Hadid (Palestinian-Dutch-American) and Simi Khadra (Iraqi-American), and was briefly engaged to Angelina Jolie. He has no confirmed children.

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Abel Tesfaye in His Own Words

"Ethiopian poetry is a different language. When my mother would translate — it's the most beautiful thing ever." — The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye), Tadias Magazine, 2015

Abel has spoken about how Ethiopian artists — particularly Aster Aweke, Tilahun Gessesse, and Mulatu Astatke — shaped his vocal approach. In 2023, he launched Samra Origins, a specialty coffee brand named after his mother, sourcing beans from Ethiopia. His name "Abel "comes directly from the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian tradition.

▶ Watch on YouTube →

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Is Abel Tesfaye Alive?

Yes. Abel Tesfaye is alive as of 2026. He is 35 years old. Following the release of the film Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025) and his After Hours Til Dawn world tour, he continues to be one of the most commercially successful artists in the world.

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Visual Family Tree

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Sources

Interviews & Direct Quotes

• Tadias Magazine — "The Weeknd Interview: Abel Says Grew Up Listening to Aster Aweke & Mulatu Astatke" — http://www.tadias.com/08/31/2015/the-weeknd-interview-abel-says-grew-up-listening-to-aster-aweke-mulatu-astatke/ — 2015
• OkayAfrica — "The Weeknd Discusses His Ethiopian Heritage" — https://www.okayafrica.com/the-weeknd-ethiopian-heritage/ — 2015
• The Guardian — The Weeknd on his mother and upbringing — 2016

TV Segments & Video

• Associated Press — "The Weeknd: 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' brought the joy back" — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgR80AJzCoU —