Eritrea has nine officially recognized ethnic groups, and music for all of them, whether traditional, religious, or contemporary, is a fundamental part of their culture. Eritrea has a long and rich music tradition, and its music is very diverse, having a variety of musical instruments, types of singing and dancing.

In Tigrinya, "Haftey" means "My sister", as "Hawey" means "My brother." Tigrinya is primarily spoken by the Tigrinya and Tigrayan peoples, who are native to Eritrea and the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, respectively.

I enjoyed learning how Eritreans used these terms not only among themselves but also among people close to them. Today, it's a term that I use with them, and they use it with me, since I am a sister of life to them.