The feeling in my music and in my voice is very Ethiopian and very African and much more powerful than anything, technically.” On the Brink of Superstardom He credits the African folk music of his family’s home country as one of the main reasons his music sounds so different compared to others in the music business, saying, “That’s why I feel like my singing is not conventional.
It’s such beautiful music, but I didn’t realize how beautiful it was until I left that head space.” They would drink coffee, eat popcorn, and listen to the music. The Weeknd grew up engaged in studying his Ethiopian heritage, even learning to speak the native language, Amharic, and playing traditional African music along with his relatives, noting, “My mother, my grandmother, my uncles would play Ethiopian artists like Aster Aweke and Mulatu Astatke all the time in the house. The family resided in the Scarborough area of Toronto, known for its diverse culture and large immigrant population. His parents were Ethipoian immigrants who had fled to Canada to escape the tumultuous political climate and the famine threatening their home country. The Weeknd was born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye on February 16, 1990. Read more below about The Weeknd’s childhood and musical background, what a record producer has to say about The Weeknd’s instrumental skills, and why we might not see the artist play piano on stage anytime soon. Though he does not usually play the piano during his live performances, there are multiple snaps of The Weeknd using a piano or a keyboard at home or in the studio while he’s working. While everyone knows that The Weeknd can carry a tune, many might be wondering whether or not the Canadian musician plays any instruments. The Weeknd, most famous for 2016’s hit album, Starboy, is a Grammy Award-winning singer, known for his collaboration with other distinguished artists, and his distinctive sound.