Ghanaian gospel singer and songwriter, Celestine Donkor, has revealed that she tested positive for COVID-19 during the Christmas season.
She made this disclosure during an exclusive interview on an Accra-based television station.
She revealed that there have been several occasions where she felt low, but, the one that was outstanding for her was when she got infected with COVID-19.
Celestine added that it was one of the lowest moments in her life, as she felt depressed about the whole situation. She also disclosed that she was forced to cancel lots of musical shows she was booked for, when she tested positive for coronavirus, and this even made her more depressed, because, this transpired during the Christmas season. However, she quickly assured that she was fully cured.
“There have been a lot of times that I have felt down, and depressed and, I was at my lowest point. We [gospel singers] encounter a lot of things that break us.
“The recent and most outstanding one that comes to mind for me is that, during the Christmas period, I was going through COVID. I was down with COVID, and imagine an artist who has pushed my song for the whole year, getting ready to be out there performing, and I had lined up bookings for programs only for me to call back and disappoint the event organizers, because, I was having COVID. I felt down and got depressed over the whole issue… By the grace of God, I have fully recovered”.
Celestine Donkor
She also testified that for the past twenty years she has never taken ill and so, catching COVID was a big hit to her. However, after her illness, she realized the severity of the issue and took it upon herself to caution people about it.
“I know what I have been through, it was that bad. For like 20 years I have stayed without paracetamol, but COVID really dealt with me and so I came out loud to say that this COVID is no joke at all”.
Celestine Donkor
When asked if she has received testimonies from people after the release of her latest song ‘Thank you’ (Yeda Wase), she answered by saying that a lot of people who she disclosed she doesn’t even know, have been touched by the music, and that several people shared how the ‘Thank you’ has made them draw closer to knowing who God is, and as well as experiencing the presence of God.
Speaking about Celestine’s ‘Thank you’ song, this latest song has raised a lot of controversies in the media space.
For starters, few days after she released the track, Celestine received a lot of backlash for featuring Efya and Akwaboah, especially from her fellow gospel preachers and Christian stations, to the extent that some refused to air the music.
Another one was when Andy Dosty, a media personality, and music artist insinuated that it may be because Celestine didn’t pay the TV stations and radio stations that is why her song wasn’t promoted. However, Celestine came out to debunk that speculation, positing that she has an excellent management team, that will see to it that radio stations and TV stations that promote her song are duly paid and as it stood it wasn’t an issue of payment, but the unwillingness of the stations to promote the song because of the people she collaborated with.
Read also: IT IS WRONG FOR A GOSPEL MUSICIAN TO FEATURE A SECULAR MUSICIAN- OB NARTEY