Witch Prophet Honours Her Grandfather In Choreographed Video For “Tesfay”
Toronto-based singer-songwriter Witch Prophet released her sophomore album DNA Activation back in March. The collection is a celebration of jazz, R&B, and soul with a distinct tie to her roots in Ethiopia, and earned her 2020 Polaris Music Prize shortlist nomination. With the winning announcement just around the corner on October 19th, Witch Prophet has shared her latest single from the album, the triumphant “Tesfay”.
“Tesfay”, which translates to “my hope”, was inspired by the memory of Witch Prophet’s grandfather, who raised five daughters as a widow in Ethiopia. His desire to push his daughters towards education and empowerment is at the base of the song’s narrative, giving light to a positive father-daughter relationship which is often underrepresented in the media.
The song’s driving saxophone melody gives it a sultry and jazzy vibe, as Witch Prophet’s slow-burning delivery slinks overtop tight Afrobeat percussion. The accompanying music video brings out the song’s dance-forward energy with a choreographed performance by a father daughter duo, representing the passage of tradition, confidence, and joy from parent to child.
Enjoy the music video below and watch the Polaris Music Prize broadcast on Monday, October 19th at 8:00pm ET (5:00pm PT), live in Canada on CBC Gem, CBC Music’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages, and around the globe at CBCMusic.ca/Polaris.
