Ghanaian Highlife musician Kwabena Kwabena has opened up about a deeply personal battle with severe depression, sharing how it nearly ended both his career and his will to continue.
In a heartfelt interview with Doreen Avio on Daybreak Hitz, the singer recounted the darkest moments of his life and how prayer became the turning point in his journey toward healing and transformation.
“I’ll share this to inspire every individual out there who’s going through any form of depression or any situation that has actually gotten you to a point where you feel like giving up. Yes, I must confess, there was a period in my life when I went through a serious moment of depression.”
According to the singer, the experience pushed him into behaviors he later regretted—especially online, where he posted things that he now views with disbelief.
“Very serious. I mean, those who are close to me know. I went through it to the extent that certain posts that I made… Today, I look at them and ask myself, ‘Oh my God, did I make such a post?’” Though the experience was harrowing, it also offered clarity. Kwabena Kwabena said that surviving depression helped him gain a deeper understanding of life and of himself.
“People also read all kinds of meanings into how depression distorted my appearance a little bit. It affected how I looked, because I have videos and photos from those days, and when I compare them to recent ones, it gives me a clear understanding of what I’ve been through—and what depression does.”
At the heart of his recovery, he said, was a force more powerful than any treatment: prayer. He credits his mother’s unwavering spiritual support with lifting him out of despair.
“I will encourage everybody out there that the key to getting out of that situation is only one thing—and that is prayer. On that note, I would like to say a big thank you to the woman that carried me—my mother. My mother has been a great pillar behind me in terms of prayer.”
“She would call me every morning and ask if I had prayed. So, there’s a song on my EP called ‘Enso Nyame Yɛ’. That song actually tells the whole story about everything I’ve been through in life, and how you can always hand everything over to God—because in His time, He will make things beautiful,” Kwabena Kwabena further stated.
