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Renowned Ghanaian gospel artiste Cwesi Oteng has opened up about the opposition he faced from within the gospel music community during his early years in the industry.
Speaking on Joy Prime’s programme Changes, the singer recounted how his innovative approach and rapid ascent drew envy and criticism from fellow musicians.
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Oteng explained that his distinct musical style, which deviated from the conventional gospel sound, was met with suspicion and resistance. According to him, some musicians and stakeholders felt threatened by his presence and feared he would eclipse the popularity of more established acts.
When I entered gospel music, I was like a fresh idea, he recalled. I began to break barriers in areas gospel hadn’t reached before. Suddenly, doors were opening for the genre—but with that came a lot of attacks.
He claimed that some individuals even resorted to spiritual means in an attempt to stifle his progress.
People took my debut album—featuring songs like I Win and God Dey Bless Me —to cemeteries and other strange places to prevent me from succeeding, he told Roselyn Felli.
Oteng noted that the backlash and spiritual battles took a toll on his visibility within the music space. As a result, his more recent tracks have struggled to gain the same level of recognition, leading to a gradual decline in public attention.
In response to these challenges, the singer made a conscious decision to step back, prioritise his well-being, and return to music on his own terms.
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You want to live long,” he explained. “So when you become aware of what’s going on, you have to re-energise yourself. Stardom isn’t everything to me—I’m fine stepping away for a while to focus on myself and then returning. Constantly staying in the spotlight isn’t what I’m about.
Despite the difficulties, Cwesi Oteng remains committed to inspiring others through music. His latest release, Favour, serves as a reminder to believers of how blessed they are and the importance of regularly affirming their faith.
This song is to remind people of the favour upon their lives and to encourage them to speak it into existence, he concluded.