The Weeknd

"Amy" Los Angeles Premiere - Arrivals

The Weeknd in 2015, photo by Prphotos.com

Birth Name: Abel Makkonen Tesfaye

Place of Birth: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Date of Birth: February 16, 1990

Ethnicity: Amhara Ethiopian

The Weeknd is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. His songs include “Love Me Harder,” “Earned It,” “The Hills,” “Can’t Feel My Face,” “In the Night,” “Acquainted,” “Starboy,” “I Feel It Coming,” “Party Monster,” “Die for You,” “Pray for Me,” “Call Out My Name,” “Heartless,” “Blinding Lights,” “After Hours,” “In Your Eyes,” “Smile,” “Save Your Tears,” “Hawái,” “You Right,” “Take My Breath,” “Hurricane,” “One Right Now,” “Sacrifice,” “Out of Time,” “Less than Zero,” “Creepin’,” “Double Fantasy,” “K-pop,” “Young Metro,” “Dancing in the Flames,” “Timeless,” and, in a feature role, “Crew Love” and “Low Life.” He has often used the falsetto register, and has created music in the contemporary and alternative R&B, pop, hip hop, dance-pop, new wave, and dream-pop styles. He co-founded the XO record label, and co-created and starred in the series The Idol. The Weeknd has sold over 75 million records worldwide; his song “Blinding Lights” has been the most-streamed in Spotify history. He has been a World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador since 2021, and is an advocate against racism and food insecurity. He is also known as The Noise, Kin Kane, and by his birth name Abel Tesfaye.

The Weeknd’s parents, Samrawit Hailu and Makkonen Tesfaye, are Ethiopian. He is fluent in Amharic, a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. Growing up, he attended services at an Ethiopian Orthodox church. He was raised in Scarborough, and attended a French-immersion school. The Weeknd grew up listening to soul, quiet storm, hip hop, funk, indie rock, and post-punk.

The Weeknd’s paternal grandfather is named Tesfaye.

The Weeknd’s maternal grandmother is named Hailu.

83 Responses

  1. cwm85 says:

    Full Ethiopian? I saw him on Snl. Not really a big fan but it was ok…

  2. Gurrl says:

    Looks west African instead of the typical Ethiopian look.

    • Capricious says:

      West Africans look like Akon. They look stereotypically dark Africans.

      This guy looks very Ethiopian. Slightly lighter and rather Arabic looking.

    • midori29 says:

      I think he looks West African too, not a single curl pattern to his hair, its fully Afro textured. Even though there are West Africans with loose kinky curly hair

      West African black Tauregs

  3. lelo4 says:

    Ethiopians are genetically half black African half caucasian/middle eastern

  4. M says:

    Btw, this guy looks way older than his age. I thought he was in his 30s.

  5. ihatemostpeople says:

    Wow I had no idea he was Ethiopian. I thought he was biracial (black and white). He looks mixed.

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