So much has been written about father-daughter relationships and how that relationship affects daughters into adulthood. There are countless negative stereotypes reinforced by the media about “deadbeat dads” and “absent fathers” so it’s refreshing to see something that celebrates fathers.

Witch Prophet tells the story of positive father-daughter relationships in her recently released “Tesfay” (translation: my hope) off her Polaris Music Prize nominated and Ontario Arts Council funded LP DNA Activation. Tapping into her Ethiopian and Eritrean roots, she fuses Jazz, Hip-Hop, Soul and RnB with songs sung in English, Amharic, and Tigrinya.

“Tesfay” was inspired by the memory of Witch Prophet’s late grandfather. He single-handedly raised five daughters after the passing of her grandmother. Abandoning traditional gender roles, he pushed his daughters towards education and empowerment – tools that would impact not only their futures but the futures of his grandchildren.

The music video concept was developed by Leah Vlemmik who wanted to take the message of “Tesfay” and tell a story through dance and memory by reinforcing positive father-daughter relationships. The music and video complement each other perfectly as Witch Prophet’s soothing vocals are cleverly interwoven on a bed of hip hop beats with a jazzy saxophone, played by Karen Ng, taking the lead. The main star of the song is the message in the video that carefully captures special moments between a father and a daughter all of which contribute to building a strong, confident and empowered woman.

The lyrics echo the high-self esteem daughters can get from their fathers with lyrics such as “looking good, feeling fine”, “top of my prime” and “got money, power and pride.” Phrases that show self-worth and belief, all of which are nurtured from a young age in the relationships we develop with our fathers.

Take some time out and appreciate lyrical, musical and visual elements coming together in this masterpiece, “Tesfay”.

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