Cwesi Oteng’s first groundbreaking album took the Ghanaian and African music scene by storm. The Mercy Project album has been hailed by many as a daring and selfless work that has revolutionized contemporary gospel music in Ghana.

Picture: Gospel artiste, Cwesi Oteng

Our story begins with the artist behind the album, who made a decision not to launch albums after a discouraging experience with his first album launch. In a post via Facebook, the artiste said he felt like he was doing a bad thing because no one supported him. But for the Mercy Project album, he decided not to launch it but to give it out for free. This decision was daring, and many wondered how it would pan out.

He invested so much money in producing the album, and he had nothing to lose by giving it out for free. He took a bold step and went to the Tema Motorway with a thousand CDs, giving out free copies to anyone who paid their road fare. Whenever he was invited to sing at events, he had people at the gates to give free copies of the album to attendees to take home. He poured hundreds of CDs and asked people to come for a copy for free, without expecting any offering.

Picture: Cwesi Oteng

Then suddenly, something started to shift, not only for the artist and his team but for a whole generation. The Mercy Project album had hit songs like “But for your Mercy,” “Kabiyesi,” “Meyewode,” “God dey bless me,” “Lord, you are good,” and others. The artist’s selfless act of giving out the album for free started to gain traction, and the album began to gain popularity.

Today, the Mercy Project album is celebrated as a groundbreaking album for contemporary gospel music in Ghana and Africa. The artist’s selfless act of giving out the album for free paid off, and the album has touched many lives, inspiring a whole generation. This story is a testament to the power of selflessness, daring, and resilience in the face of adversity.