Veteran Ghanaian hiplife artist Emmanuel Kofi Botwe, popularly known as Kwaw Kese, has publicly declared himself a traditionalist and herbalist, drawing from a lifetime of spiritual exploration that took him through Christianity, Islam, and ultimately back to African ancestral faith.
Speaking on Joy Prime’s Prime Time with host George Quaye on Thursday, Kwaw Kese traced a personal religious journey that mirrors a growing conversation across Africa about indigenous spirituality and the colonial footprint on religion.
Born into a Christian household, the rapper said his early faith identity was shaped more by cultural default than personal conviction. He later adopted Islam and received the name Kamal before eventually finding his footing in traditional religion. “I believe that is for us,” he said, invoking a widely held sentiment that Christianity arrived on the continent through colonial contact rather than organic spiritual discovery.
“I am a traditionalist, herbalist,” he stated when pressed on where his beliefs currently rest, leaving no ambiguity about his position.
Kwaw Kese, whose music career stretches back to his debut single in 2004, also revealed during the same interview that he is eyeing a future in politics, with aspirations to represent his hometown of Agona Swedru as a Member of Parliament when he is financially ready. He is also working on an upcoming album titled From Far, with a single already released ahead of a planned May drop.
