17/08/2025
🇪🇹 In a rare and deeply personal collaboration, global music icon Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, has teamed up with Nespresso to launch a coffee collection that pays tribute to his Ethiopian heritage—and the woman who shaped it: his mother, Samrawit Hailu.
More than just another celebrity product drop, this launch is rooted in cultural pride and the ritual of Ethiopian coffee ceremonies, a tradition that shaped Tesfaye’s early life and family values.
The name Samra Origins is a direct nod to his mother, and the brand centers on Ethiopia’s rich coffee traditions. In Ethiopian homes, coffee is not just a drink—it’s a sacred, communal experience.
The coffee ceremony, or buna, involves roasting green beans over fire, grinding them by hand, and brewing the coffee in a clay pot called a jebena, all while guests gather, share stories, and connect.
To mark the launch, Abel and Samrawit hosted a full traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, surrounded by woven stools, incense, and ceremonial trays—bringing centuries-old rituals into a modern, global spotlight.
The event blended cultural authenticity with modern elegance and was a rare public appearance for Samrawit, whose presence underscores the project’s personal significance.
This partnership not only celebrates Ethiopia as the birthplace of coffee but also introduces global audiences to the intimacy and symbolism of the Ethiopian coffee ceremony, reframing coffee not as a convenience—but as connection.
The Weeknd and his mother aren’t just sharing coffee. They’re sharing a legacy.
From Addis to arenas, one cup at a time.
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[ADDIS INSIGHT]
