Celestine Donkor

Celestine Donkor is a Ghanaian gospel singer and songwriter known for "Agbebolo", "Okronkronhene" and "Turning Around". She has ten recorded awards, including Gospel Song of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards, and founded the annual Celestial Praiz concert.

Early life and education

She was born to Mr and Mrs Akakpo, both from the Volta Region. She attended St Augustine Preparatory School in Abeka Lapaz and Nsaaniya Secondary Business School in Kasoa, and earned a BA in sociology and information studies from the University of Ghana.

Career

At sixteen, while still at secondary school, she met the producer and sound engineer Fred Kyei Mensah, known as Fredyma, who brought her into the industry as a backing vocalist. She sang behind several leading gospel musicians before releasing her own albums: Gye Wadea (2007), Restoration (2010), Righteousness and Turning Around (both 2015), Okronkronhene (2018) and Bread of Life (2019).

She has collaborated with the Kenyan gospel singer Evelyn Wanjiru, the Zimbabwean Tembalami, and Ghanaians including Diana Hamilton, Piesie Esther, Obaapa Christy, Akwaboah and Efya.

Awards

Her first award was Best Gospel Video at the 2009 MTN Music Video Awards. In 2019 she won Album, Artiste and Collaboration of the Year at the National Gospel Music Awards. "Agbebolo" won Gospel Song of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards, where she was also named Female Vocalist of the Year, and she was 3Music Awards Gospel Act of the Year in 2022. In March 2021 the 3Music Women's Brunch named her among the Top 30 Most Influential Women in Music.

Celestial Praiz

In 2016 she founded Celestial Praiz, an annual gospel concert that has hosted artists from across Africa, among them Minister GUC, Zaza Mokhethi, Evelyn Wanjiru, Daughters of Glorious Jesus and Joe Mettle.

Personal life

She is married and has three daughters.