Award-winning Ghanaian gospel musician, Celestine Donkor, has warmed hearts on social media after revealing that her 82-year-old mother, Hannah Mawuena Akakpo, is the composer of two songs on her latest Ewe Afro Medley.
In a video shared online, Celestine Donkor was seen alongside her mother, both dressed in matching outfits, joyfully singing along to one of the songs from the medley.
Introducing her mother to fans, Celestine described Madam Akakpo as more than a supportive parent, praising her as a gifted songwriter and composer whose musical influence shaped her upbringing.
“My mum is a great composer and songwriter. She is Mrs Hannah Mawuena Akakpo from Anyako, Attipoe Fème. She is an evangelist, preacher, caterer and trader, and a retired deaconess of the Church of Pentecost, where she served faithfully for over 40 years,” she wrote.
According to Célestine, her mother was known for spontaneously lifting songs during sermons whenever a message touched her heart. Growing up, she and her siblings often heard these songs at home, only to later realise they were original compositions.
“When I was planning my ministration for #CelestialPraiz11, I wanted to do some Ewe songs and decided to add some of her compositions to honour her talent,” she explained.
Despite her advanced age and health challenges, including persistent knee pain, Madam Akakpo gathered the strength to feature in the video, an experience her daughter described as deeply fulfilling.
Hannah Mawuena Akakpo has long been described as a driving force behind Celestine Donkor’s music journey.
The singer has often spoken openly about her upbringing, recounting how her parents, Madam Akakpo and her husband, Elder Gabriel Akakpo, raised her and 14 other children in a chamber-and-hall apartment, yet ensured they were well cared for and raised in strong Christian values.
In 2021, Célestine also revealed that her mother briefly slipped into a coma and spent several days hospitalised, but survived and went on to recover.
Meanwhile, the touching mother-daughter collaboration has since drawn admiration from fans, many of whom have praised the celebration of family, faith and generational talent.
The project is currently available on all major streaming platforms, with the full video also accessible on YouTube.
Watch the video below:
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