Witch Prophet is a queer, Ethiopian/Eritrean singer-songwriter based in Toronto. She provides her fans with a soundscape of vocal layers, loops, raps, and harmonies on a bed of hip-hop, jazz, and soul-inspired beats. Think Erykah Badu meets Lauryn Hill meets Jill Scott. Her EPs H.P.B. and Architect of Heartbreak Remixes were met with great praise when released in 2016 and 2017, as was her highly anticipated album The Golden Octave, released via her own label Heart Lake Records in 2018.
In March of 2020, Witch Prophet released her Ontario Arts Council funded sophomore LP DNA Activation, an ode to her Ethiopian and Eritrean ancestral roots, fusing jazz, hip-hop, soul and R&B, with songs sung in English, Amharic, and Tigrinya. Co-produced by herself and her partner Sun Sun, and praised by press and music lovers alike, DNA Activation was shortlisted for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize.
“[Witch Prophet’s] dreamy blend of R&B is equal parts KING and Control era Janet Jackson” – Bandcamp
“Choose your own dosage, but Witch Prophet’s woozy r&b song for healing is meant to be put on repeat” – NPR
“…the [Architect of Heartbreak] remixes are a striking testament to the strength of the original track, and to the wide appeal and versatility of Witch Prophet’s sound” – NOW Magazine
“H.P.B. is only four songs long, but you can revel in the intersection of its soul, R&B and hip-hop nods for days.” – CBC Music
Photo by Brianna Roye
